Music is Love, Love is Music: A Fairy Tail Fanfic
by NataliaRavenX
Summary: While in high school Lucy, Levy, Erza, and Juvia all get their hearts broken by their one true love. But what happens when they're no longer the awkward nerds they once were. What if they become beautiful fully developed women. Not to mention the world's number one rising singers. Ships: Nalu, Gruvia, Gajevy, Jerza, Naruhina, Shikaino, Sasusaku, Nejiten
1. Part 1

**Juvia**

My body moves and before I realize it I've taken off. I...I need to get away. I stumble a few times in the snow but I keep going. My head is pounding, and the cold is biting at my cheeks and nose. People look and point in my direction, but I ignore them. Everything hurts. It hurts to think, every step further I take feels like something in me is dying.

 _'Am I dying?'_

Death doesn't sound too bad. Whatever can make the ache in my chest go away. It was making it hard to breathe. Flashes of what happened cause me to loose my footing but I quickly straighten and keep running blindly out of school. _Why...Just..Why?! Why would Gray-sama do that to Juvia..._

I collapse at the park right were the fountain was. It was a fairly large fountain, for a park at least. Surprisingly, with the temperature being extra cold this year, it wasn't frozen yet. When I was little my mother would bring me here to make friends, but the other kids didn't like me, so I was usually alone drawing little water droplets and flowers on the sidewalk around the fountain with my little blue chalk crayon, hoping that someone would take pity on me and join me. Maybe even be my friend.

Chuckling dryly at the memory, I lean heavily on the edge of the fountain and attempt to catch my breath, hoping that this was all just a nightmare and that I wake up soon. This had to be a nightmare. Gray-sama would never say those things to me... He was the light to my dark world. He would never abandon me for Ultear. The girl who has tormented and bullied me since...forever.

I smile, trying to convince myself that it was true. I reach down and make ripples in the fountain water with my finger. I whimper slightly when I make contact with the freezing water.

"LOOK OUT!!!"

Before my brain can process what those words mean, I'm hit by something hard and round causing me to lose my balance and fall inside the fountain with a loud splash. The water is so cold my body numbs up immediately. Time slows as I float silently. It's so peaceful and quiet in here, even though the water is beyond freezing,

 _'Juvia feels like she belongs here...'_

The ache in my chest is relaxed a bit as I curl up inside the fountain.

 _'Juvia wishes to stay he-'_

I'm suddenly yanked up and out of the cold fountain. Immediately, the ice-cold air hits me, shaking me out of my daze, reality crashing down on me.

 _'It's not a dream...it was real...'_

I vaguely feel someone shaking me and asking me something.

"I-it's n-not a d-d-dream..." I whisper, staring at the ground my teeth chattering from the cold. Thick rain drops begin to fall from the sky as I slowly sink to my knees on the sidewalk. Rain not snow... The ache in my chest and the constriction in my throat becomes unbearable. I double over on the snowy ground as my sobs shake my entire body, hitting it the ground with my fist.

 _'Gray-sama...Why Gray-sama...Juvia loves you...'_

Something lifts my head up a bit and places it on something warm, hard and... caring. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around the object and to my surprise the object returns the gesture, placing one hand on the back of my head and the other on my waist, hugging me tight. I sobbed my heart and throat dry. I sobbed till the heavy rain turned into nothing more than a light drizzle. I sobbed myself asleep in the arms of this unknown object.

 **Erza**

My bangs shadow over my eyes as I turn and run out of school. Everywhere I look I see that. Her sitting on his lap and him whispering in her ear. Telling her how he used me to get her. How he loves her. I grit my teeth and run faster, paying no attention to where I'm going. It didn't matter where I was going as long as it was away. Away from them. The more space between us the better.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I slip on some black ice. I fall hard onto the somewhat frozen road or an alleyway, scraping my cheek and hands. I sit back on my knees and just feel the stinging on my face and hands. It felt nice...

I hear laughter behind me but I don't bother to turn around; instead I focus my gaze on a nearby window with with my reflection. I couldn't help but compare my face with hers. She had smooth, soft, silky looking skin whereas I my skin was cumbersome and rough due to acne. She had big round cute eyes and long luscious lashes while I had tiny dots due to my farsighted glasses. I hear yelling behind me but I continue to ignore it. Instead, I begin to laugh at my stupidity.

 _'In what godforsaken universe would he have chosen me over her?!'_

I'm suddenly grabbed by my shoulder lifted and slammed into a brick wall. In front of me was a man with the scent of alcohol all over him. He seemed angry at me for ignoring him earlier. I let my bangs shadow over my eyes as I continue to laugh at myself. This seems to anger him more because he slams me into the wall again. It hurt like hell but I didn't mind. He begins to yell in my face but he slurs his words so much that I don't understand a word he says. This causes me to laugh more. He raises his fist and swings at me...

Only to be yanked away from me from behind. I keep my gaze on the snow as I continue to laugh at myself. Another voice snaps me out of my laughing fit.

"Hey are you ok?"

I snap my head up and see a boy about my age with jet black hair and black eyes looking at me with worry. I think about his question as a drop of blood slides down my scraped cheek onto the snow, staining it. I start laughing hysterically again and this seems to send him on edge.

 _'Are you okay?'_

His question echoes in my mind as my knees begin to give in and my laughter dissolves into nothing but my own sobs.

"No..." I whisper. "I'm not okay."

My sobs ring throughout the empty alleyway. To my utter surprise the boy crouches down and pulls my head to his chest, stroking my hair while saying that I will be fine. This causes me to sob harder. It begins to rain heavily but he never so much as moves an inch. He doesn't stop stroking my hair. He just tells me to let it all out.

And I do.

 **Lucy**

Unable to take anymore I run.

And run.

And run.

I don't know where I'm going. It was all a blur. All I know is that I need to get away.

Sprinting down hallways.

 _Crack._

Bursting through doors.

 _Crack._

Flying up the stairs. Breaking more with each step I take.

 _Crack._

 _Crack._

 _Crack._

I trip a couple of times but I keep running. I run till I run out of space to run to and energy. I throw myself onto the fence around the roof and cling tightly to it for a moment while breathing heavily. I was trembling but I didn't know if it was from the freezing weather or something else. It was so cold that I could see my breath.

Inhale.

 _Crack_

Exhale.

 _Crack_

Each breath I took grew more ragged than the last, his words and reality were beginning to set in. I close my eyes and lean my head on the fence. My crush, my best friend, my first love.

 _'Honestly Lucy, did you seriously think he would ever look at you?!'_

I feel a presence behind me but I don't bother to turn look at who it is. At this point I could care less who it is. I'm beyond feeling at this point. Whatever they had to throw at me. I was to broken to care. I'm suddenly turned around from behind and strong secure warm arms enveloped me. I gasp and tense in shock from the sudden warmth but I don't move or make a sound.

Inhale.

 _Crack._

Exhale.

 _Crack._

Inhale.

 _Crack._

Exha-

 _ **CRACK!!**_

I slowly sink to my knees, my uncontrollable sobs shaking my entire body. The boy goes down with me, holding me and rubbing my back. It begins to rain but the boy doesn't seem to notice. He whispers in my ear that everything will be fine, I just bury my head I his chest and cry louder, choking on my sobs from time to time. The rain mercilessly pelted at us like thousands of sharp needles but the boy doesn't leave. He stays.

 _'He stayed with me for over an hour on the roof.'_

When my hiccups died down the boy said nothing, he just took my hand and began walking. I walk as if I'm in a trance. I let him pull me along to lord knows where. We walk for about 15 minutes before some synapses fire up my zombie-like brain.

I immediately stop walking and pull my hand out of his grasp. The boy seemed to be telling me something but my mind couldn't wrap itself around his words. He gently grabs my hand again and gives it a reassuring squeeze before leading me again. I let myself be led, not looking up from the ground once.

 **Levy**

I attempt to tell Gajeel goodbye but I choke in the middle of the words so I take a large stumbling step back and run. I'll be damned if I let him see my tears. I try to cover my face as much as possible, not wanting to be seen. I stumble into the warm library.

Thankfully it's empty as usual and I make way to the very end of the library, bumping into literally everything due to my blurry vision from tears. I'm finally taken down by a chair.

I try desperately to quiet down my sobs, causing me to cough and choke on my tears. My headband slips off and my frizzy hair poofs up. Still sobbing I wipe my eyes with my scarf and clutch my headband to my chest, doubling over as if I had a stomach ache.

 _'Gajeel... You were my hero...why... I...I...'_

 _'You what Levy?! Love him?! Ha! As if he'd ever look at you! Have you ever looked at yourself?! You heard him! Any interaction he had with you was out of pity!'_

I slump over in resignation, the worst of my sobs we're gone and no I was crying silent tears of defeat. My mind clouds over with dark thoughts and emotions. I stare straight ahead but see nothing. Everything is too blurry. I automatically touch my face to feel for my glasses. Yes, I'm still wearing them, it must be leftover tears. I let my hand drop to my side again. A wave of numbness overcomes me.

 _'I don't like this... I want to feel something.'_

My breathing becomes panicked and I grab and pull at my hair, hyperventilating.

 _'No panic attacks no panic attacks! Calm down Levy!!!'_

My breathes were coming out in short gasps.

 _'I can't feel anything!!!!'_

My mind begins to draw a blank when suddenly a figure drops down on its knees in front of me and embraces me entirely. Shocked, I stop breathing for a moment. My numbness tried to reject the gesture but he merely hugged me tighter.

Slowly my breathing evened out and I relaxed into the embrace, setting my forehead in the crook of his neck.

 _'He's so warm..'_

We've been meaning to post this fanfic on this site for a while and now I finally did it! whoo!

 **After, like, 8 months.**

At least we got to it eventually.


	2. Part 2

**Juvia**

 _'White... Juvia's walls are blue not white...where is Juvia?!'_

I begin to panic as I look around at my unfamiliar surroundings. I was laying on a large white couch beside a large fireplace covered in a soft blue blanket with little snowflake designs. My shoes and jacket had been removed. My breathing became shallow and my heartbeat was picking up as I tried to figure out where I was.

"You're finally awake."

With a startled gasp I whirl around and see a good-looking white haired boy about my age leaning on the doorframe, regarding me with a nice teasing grin. I stare in shock for a moment before my manners kick in.

"Juvia apologizes for intruding into your home, Juvia is not a bugler, Juvia promises Juvia stole nothing! Juvia does not recall what happened, please don't call the police!" I say while bowing frantically. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for his harsh response but instead, to my surprise, I felt a hand go on my shoulder. My eyes widen in surprise as the boy gives an amused chuckle. "Do you not remember? I know you're not a burglar Juvia, I carried you here myself when you fell asleep in my arms. "

Blood rushes to my face. _'What is he-'_

That's when I remembered. _Gray-sama..._

 _'No.'_ I shook my head slightly. _'Not Gray-sama, just Gray.'_

Keeping myself bowed I manage to stutter out "J-Juvia apologizes for wasting your time and being such a bother. Juvia will leave now. Juvia thanks you um..."

"Lyon."

"Juvia thanks you Lyon from the bottom of Juvia's heart."

With my head still bowed down I turn to grab my jacket, but I freeze when I hear Lyon quiet voice.

"Who is Gray?"

My breathing becomes shallow again and my heartbeat slows. The back of my eyes begin to tingle and my throat constricts a bit. My hair falls over my eyes as I wobble a bit, Lyon steps forward fearing that I would fall over, but I catch myself on the sofa. I quickly regain my composure.

"No one," I whisper, mainly to convince myself, as I sit on the sofa and begin to put on my shoes. "He is no one at all."

Lyon sits on the couch beside me. "I know you just met me, but I'm not particularly busy at the moment if you want to talk about it. I understand if you don't."

I hesitated a bit, but then he gave gave me such a warm smile it almost made me cry again, but I held my tears as I begin to tell him what happened. How I met and fell in love Gray, how he ignored me wherever I tried to show him my feelings. But that didn't stop me from loving him because I would always see him as the boy who saved me. Until today, when I saw him with Ultear- the girl who terrorized and bullied me the most in school - and he finally told me what he thought of me.

 _'You're so annoying Juvia! All you do is follow me around and get in my way! Get a life! I regret the day we met!'_

When I finish choking out my story Lyon studies my face a bit before saying "Well, whoever this Gray guy is, he should be ashamed for making such a beautiful girl cry."

Heat rose in my cheeks and ears but I quickly duck my head and cover my blush with my hair.

"Please stop making fun of Juvia..." I begged as I began to cry again. This seem to scare Lyon greatly because he quickly grabbed my face and wiped my tears away.

"Juvia, what do you mean? I would never make fun of you!"

"Everyone knows Juvia is ugly! Even Juvia knows! You don't have to rub it in by lying!" I said trying to get out of his grasp.

"No Juvia, I've seen you. And trust me, I've never met anyone more beautiful."

"Lies! Let Juvia go! You're just like everyone else! You're no better than Gray!"

"Juvia you don't understand. I've seen YOU. As in I've seen you for who you are."

I slowly stop squirming as he continues to ramble on.

"I've seen you tutoring the elementary kids, I've seen how you look at the special ed kids. You look at them like they're normal people. I've never seen you look down on someone before. Beauty is defined from within Juvia. You are the most beautiful person I know. And it enrages me that someone as beautiful and good as you gets taken for granted."

I was trembling in his arms and tears leaked out of my eyes as Lyon laid out a whole new Juvia. _'He noticed all of this about Juvia?!'_

"How do you know all this about Juvia? Juvia is pretty sure Juvia has never met you before." I manage to croak out with a sniffle.

Lyon grinned sheepishly while saying "I saw you tutoring a kid once in the library after school and I've wanted to be your friend since then but I was too nervous to approach you."

He mutters the last part while ducking his head in embarrassment. I look at him completely shocked. _'This guy, Lyon, wanted to be friends with Juvia?!' That doesn't make sense! He clearly belongs to the popular kids! This is a freaking mansion!'_ He must've taken my silence as a rejection because he muttered an apology under his breath and lowered his hands from my face.

He dejectedly handed me my jacket and showed me the way out. I snapped out of my daze when he opened the door and the cold air hit me. It was still raining outside. I turn and without thinking I hug Lyon tightly, as if he was my last lifeline.

"Thank you Lyon-sama, Gray may have shown Juvia the light, but you have prevented it from going out."

Lyon was surprised by the -sama but he quickly accepted the embrace along with the suffix at the end of his name.

I quickly turned and begin to walk away. Just as I was heading off his driveway I turn and wave at him. He waves back smiling and I smile warmly at him in return. Almost immediately it stops raining and the ache in my chest is lifted just a little.

 **Erza**

My sobs eventually die down to nothing but shuddering breaths. I unintentionally shiver when a cold breeze blows over my soaked clothes. It was still raining but not as hard as before. The boy, noticing my shiver, takes my hand and begins to walk out of the alleyway. He takes me to a large mansion where there was a butler waiting for him at the entrance.

"Welcome home master Rogue. You're fifteen minutes late, I was beginning to worry." He had that wise deep no-nonsense type of voice.

Rogue flashes him a smile while tugging me into the enormous house. "Sorry, something came up."

I feel the butler's eyes travel up and down my body taking note of the cut on my cheek, bruises and scratches on my hands, and my dirty, soaked clothes.

The boy, Rogue, lead me to an enormous living room and sat me down on an elegant black couch beside a ridiculously large fireplace.

"I'll be right back." he announces while disappearing into another room. He comes back a few moments later dressed in dry clothing. He hands me a towel, t-shirt, and basketball shorts.

"Sorry if their a bit big but they were the smallest ones I could find." he said sheepishly. All I could do was stare at him in disbelief.

This guy, who had a whole tall, dark, and handsome vibe, from an obviously wealthy family, seriously still talking to me?! He was obviously a popular boy, with looks and a house like that it would be impossible not to be. What the hell am I doing here?! Why did he approach me in the first place?! I can't even imagine how I must've looked. I mean, I look horrifying on an average day, now imagine me with red puffy, tear streaked, bruised and bloodied. It's a miracle that window didn't break at my reflection!

"Sorry, I don't want to ruin your clothes" I mumble as I take a step back.

His eyes widen then he squints at me as if trying to understand me. "So you're going to risk getting a cold just cause you dont wanna ruin my clothes?"

I nod hesitantly while nervously shifting from foot to foot, looking everywhere but at him. He smiles at me and gently pushes the clothes into my hands while ruffling my already messed up hair with the towel.

"Clothes are replaceable, you're not. I don't want to risk you dying on me from hypothermia." he reasoned while leading me to the bathroom. Dumbstruck, I allow myself to be led. I change while he goes to look for a first aid kit.

The shirt nearly reached my knees and the basketball shorts were very loose around my curveless waist. I walk out with my wet clothes wrapped in the towel Rogue gave me. He chuckles when he sees me and hands my wet clothes to a nearby maid, politely telling her to wash it. Then he sits me down of the couch and begins to tend to my cut. My eyes widen and I quickly back away sputtering "N-no I can do it. I don't want to be a n-nuisance anymore."

Rogue looked at me confused. "When did I say you were a nuisance?"

I open my mouth to respond but nothing came out, so I closed it and he went back to tending to the cut. There was a light drizzle falling outside. Weird, surely it was cold enough for it to be snow and not rain. My train of thought is interrupted by Rogues quiet words. "Y'know Erza, I've seen you go through hell and back without so much as a complaint. What could possibly have happened that made the great Titania break down like that?"

I chuckle half-heartedly. "Classic cliché of a girl who falls in love with her childhood friend, and stupidly believes that maybe she had a chance, only for reality to come crashing down on her."

I shake my head.

"It's my own fault really. I mean, would you really choose this," I motion towards myself. "Over the most beautiful and popular girl in school?" I close my eyes and shake my head with a small sad chuckle.

Rogue is silent for a moment, then he lifts my chin so he could look me in the eye. "What kind of person wouldn't choose you? I've seen you defend your friends behind their backs. You keep a strong tough face around them, you cheer them up, you take hits for them and keep silent about it so they don't worry. You never show weakness around anyone, especially your friends. You follow the elementary school kids through the dangerous part of town to make sure they don't get hurt on the way, you even picked up a little homeless baby boy from the streets. You and your friends have been taking care of him since you found him."

I stare at him in utter shock. _'How does he know about Romeo?!'_

"You're the strongest most courageous person I've ever seen in my life. Nothing stops you and nothing stands in your way, and if something does you knock it down. That's just who you are. Only a fool would choose a snotty popular girl over the great and mighty Titania."

I stare opened mouthed at him as he wipes an escaped tear off my cheek. He stares at me with such a child-like adoration that I can't help but lower my head and give a true happy laugh.

"Titania huh?" I say with a raised brow when I look up again.

"Oh...erm...hehehe" he blushes and looks away embarrassed while mumbling "It's just a silly nickname I gave you."

I move so that our eyes meet and say with a true genuine smile. "I like it."

His eyes widen and he smiles like a kid who got an autograph from his favorite superhero. I can't help but laugh at his child-like behavior. At that moment a maid comes with my clothes, washed and dried, in her arms. Smiling, I accept the clothes and walk to the bathroom to change back into my clothes.

"I should go now, I've been away from Romeo for way too long." I saw while walking out dressed in my now dry clothes.

Rogue nods and walks me out to his enormous porch. I try to hand his clothes back but he Rogue just shakes his head while saying "Keep it, something to remember me by."

Raising my eyebrow I ask "Why would I need something to remember you by? I'll see tomorrow at school."

Confused, he says "I thought you only hung you with your friends at school."

I look at him confused "I do."

His confusion slowly melts into realization then to a happy smile. Grinning, I push his clothes into his hands while turning and stepping into the light drizzle of rain that was falling. I had just reached the bottom of the steps when I hear Rogues voice.

"Erza! Wait!"

Curious, I turn and Rogue runs up to me and pushes the clothes into my hands with a smile "Keep it as a gift from me."

 _'What a weird gift.'_ Not wanting to be rude I nod and accept the gift. I begin to walk off again with a wave before stopping and rushing back and hugging Rogue tightly.

"Thank you Rogue. For everything."

He was shocked for a moment before wrapping his arms around me and returning my bone crushing hug. At that exact moment I felt the suns rays warming up my back. The rain had stopped.

 **Lucy**

The blonde boy led me to an massive mansion with a golden fountain in the very middle of the outrageously enormous front lawn. I swear it took us longer to get to the front of the house than it did for us to actually arrive. And don't even get me started on the grand staircase that led to the door. Not to mention it was still drizzling a little. I stop again, this time to catch my breath.

 _'You're so weak Lucy! You're just a burden to me and everyone! You just get in the way!'_

Natsu's words ring in my head over and over again. Raising my hands to my temples, I try to shake his voice away. The blonde boy steps forward and kicks the enormous door open.

"Virgo!"

"Yes, master Sting?"

Sting jumps and gives out a girlish squeal while hiding behind me as a pink haired woman in a maid suit pops up from out of nowhere behind him.

"Oh my Mavis! Virgo, I told you to stop doing that!"

"My apologies master," she says while bowing. "Punishment?" the maid pulls out a terrifying whip from behind her back and holds it out to Sting, who was freaking out. Uncertain of what was going on I take a step back sweatdropping.

"Virgo put that away! We don't punish out employees! You're going to give our guest the wrong idea! Wait- WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET THAT?! Y'know what? Nevermind, I don't want to know." He sighs and facepalms himself. The crazy pink haired maid stayed bowed awaiting either her punishment or orders. It was impossible not to smile a bit at the scene unfolding before me. Rubbing his temples he asks "Virgo could you please bring us some towels we're soaking wet from the rain."

"Right away master." The maid turns and exits the room. Sting turns to me with an apologetic embarrassed smile "Sorry about that, Virgo is an interesting chara-"

"Here are your towels master."

"KYA!!!"

Startled, Sting jumps into my arms and clings to me like his only lifeline.

"VIRGO WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!" he yells while shaking his fist at the emotionless maid.

Unable to support his weight I tumble over and we fall to the floor with a loud crash. From another room I can hear the wailings of a baby.

"Shit! We woke her up!" Sting exclaimed horrified, while jumping up. "Virgo is my mother home?"

"No, she left on a business trip not to long ago."

Sting rushed to the room where the wailing was located. Not knowing what to do I follow him. I step inside a pink nursery where I see Sting holding a small little wailing baby girl with dark blue hair trying, unsuccessfully, to sooth her.

"Do you want the bottle?" he asks her while pushing the on her lips.

The baby continues to cry and rejects the bottle.

"How about your pacifier then? You want?"

He sticks the pacifier in her mouth but it falls out of her mouth as she continues to cry. At this point he's panicking.

"Virgo! Virgo! Do something!"

"I am not authorized to assist with the baby in any way." I jump at Virgo's voice and stifle a shriek as she appears behind me silently. I watch as Sting tries to give the poor baby some toys and stuff but the baby continues to cry.

"Can I try?" I ask so quietly that I don't think he heard me, but he walks towards me and hands me the wailing baby without hesitation. The baby just squirms in my arms and cries louder.

"Shhh..shhh...It's okay.. shhh" I coo quietly in her ear as I bounce her in my arms. The baby quiets down for a moment, and the tension leaves the room as the mansion settles into a nice quiet pea-

"ACHHOO!!"

Sting sniffles loudly and apologises, realizing too late what he had done. As if it were a horror movie the baby slowly begins to squirm again and her face scrunches up. Sting and Virgo hold each other in their arms as they watch the baby with horror. Instinctively, I begin to sing the lullaby we use on Romeo when he's being fussy.

Lucy

 _Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket_

 _Never let it fade away_

 _Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket_

 _Save it for a rainy day_

The babys squirming immediately stops and she stares at me with her deep brown eyes.

 _For love may come and tap you on the shoulder some starless night_

 _Just in case you feel you want to hold her_

 _You'll have a pocketful of starlight_

Her eyes slowly begin to droop and she relaxes in my arms. I slowly make my way to her crib as I sing.

 _Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket_

 _Never let it fade away_

 _Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket_

 _Save it for a rainy day..._

I lay her down and cover her with a soft blanket with little swirly wind designs all over it. I stare at her sleeping form for a minute with a small smile, thinking of Romeo. I turn around to Sting and Virgos faces of awe.

"Young masters guest has a voice like silk." She says not taking her eyes off me. I blush and look away embarrassed.

"I-it's average. It sounds better when Juvia, Erza, Levy and I sing together." I stutter.

They continue to stare at me like I rose from the dead.

"No, I've heard average. Your voice...it's amazing!" Sting says "You don't sing words you sing feelings! You put yourself out there when you sing! You give strength with just your voice! It's amazing! Even after everything you've gone through! Orphan along with your friends, who you rent an apartment with, taking in a stray dog even though you already have a child to deal with. And you still find the strength somewhere within you to give others hope through a song! My little sister has never quieted down before with anyone who wasn't my mother! And even then, my mother had to be in physical contact with her for hours before she fell asleep, and you did it in 7 minutes! How? How can you sing a song about love after everything you've gone through?! How are you so..so strong?!"

I couldn't do anything but stare at him in shock. I was a little creeped out but also very confused.

"Strong? Ha! I'm the weakest person in the world! I couldn't even stand up for myself a-against N-natsu..." my eyes fill at the thought of Natsu. Damnit. I lower my head and wipe any escaped tears. "See? These tears are just proof of how weak I really am."

I hear footsteps and warm familiar arms wrap around me, pulling me to a warm broad chest. "Oh Lucy... Tears aren't a sign of weakness. They just show that you've been strong for much too long."

His words somehow manage to work their way inside my brain and settle there. I wrap my arms around his comforting embrace as silent warm tears trickle down my face.

"Thank you Sting... Thank you."

Phew* what a long chapter ＿φ(-=)

My apologies for any grammatical/spelling errors! (/ω＼)

 **And for those of you who are wondering: This is a Nalu, Gruvia, Jerza, and Gale fanfic! So don't panic! The Lyvia, Stinglu, Rogza are nothing but BrOTP's.**

You'll find out what happened to Levy next chapter!!!ヾ(ω*)


	3. Part 3

Levy

 _'Warm...'_

I unconsciously snuggle closer to whatever hard object I'm leaning on. In return, the object grunts and shifts to a more comfortable position.

 _What the hell?!_

Jerking away from the object I find myself face to face with a snoozing, cute tan boy with brown hair. Blushing heavily, I try to collect my bearings (and dignity) as I look around.

I'm still in the library, but I was well hidden between two book shelves... In the lap of this complete stranger...

Was this normal human behavior?? I'll have read about this later. But for now! _'Operation: Escape Unnoticed'_ is a go!

Puffing out my cheeks, I try to slowly scoot off this poor guy whom I had been sleeping on for Mavis knows how long. _'He must be sore!' That does not look like a comfortable position!'_

"Pfft, I'm sore as hell. Trust me this not a comfortable position at all-"

I shriek while jumping six feet in the air. Clinging to the top of a book shelf for dear life.

"I knew I should've chosen the couch. But then again, this spot is much more secluded and quiet. I've had my fair share of sleep in's here myself. Mainly because I fall asleep while reading here five minutes before the library closes and no one ever see's me when they lock the doors. But no worries though! They open pretty early, for a library." He flashes me a wolfish grin. "Rogue one time slept in as well with me and, let me tell you, that is the first and last time I ever get locked in somewhere at night with him. He was literally crying his little heart and soul out, blubbering something about 'What Would Titania Do' or in his words 'WWTD'. He then proceeded to try to break down the doors." The boy chuckles with humor. He glances up at me and says "You should probably get down from there, I can see your panties."

"H-how did you k-know what I was- STOP LOOKING YOU PERVERT!" I clumsily try to cover my embarrassingly unsexy white cotton panties, letting go of the bookshelf in the process.

"KYYAAA-"

I brace myself for a hard landing, but instead I'm lightly caught in the boys arms. I cling tightly to him, heart racing, but he calmly sets me down with a pat to my head.

My legs are still a bit shaky from the fall so he keeps a hand on my back for support.

"G-gomen" I stutter out while avoiding eye contact and picking at the carpet floor with my shoe.

He glances at me in surprise, mid-yawn. "Whatever for?"

"For getting us locked in here, for getting you shirt wet, for accidentally falling asleep on you and making stay in an uncomfortable position for Mavis knows how long..." Once I start apologizing, I find it hard to stop. Tears blur my vision as I continue to apologize. "Gomen for being annoying, gomen for being a dumbass, gomen that my shortness was a burden to you, that I was a burden to you. Gomen...g-gomen...gomen..."

I hiccup and struggle to breathe as I viciously wipe my eyes. The boy lets out a low angry growl that reverberates throughout the library before grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me lightly, startling me enough to look up at him.

 _"Whoever told you any of those things is a pathological lair!"_ My teary eyes widen at the intensity and ferocity of his voice. "You! _LEVY FREAKING MCGARDEN_! Are force to be reckoned with. Small, but fierce! There's no problem you cant solve or a solution you cant come up with. You're a genius in the making. No, you're more. You're a masterpiece in the making. Only an idiot would not be able to see that. Only an asshole would take you for granted."

My breath caught in my throat. _'A-a masterpeice?'_

For a selfish moment I let myself believe that I was what he said.

Levy McGarden. Feirce. A genius. A masterpiece.

 _'No.'_ I shake my head. _'No false hope Levy'_

"ITS NOT FALSE HOPE! IT'S THE TRUTH!"

I jump at his booming voice.

"Please... Believe me... I don't say this cause you have the best grades in school, I say this because I've seen it. You have such a iron hard gaze when you set your mind to something." He stares at me with such innocent adoration I can't help but crack a small smile. "You freaking tutor the seniors and you're only a sophomore yourself! And nothing can pull you out of a good book unless someone is in danger, you aren't scared to put yourself before danger because you always find a way to work through or around a problem- eh?!"

He cries out in surprise when I suddenly cut him off by hugging him tightly, burying my face in his chest.

"H-how do y-you know so m-much about me? I don't even k-know your n-name..." I struggle to talk through my hiccups.

I could hear heard his smile as he said "Cobra. My friends call me Cobra."

 **JUVIA POV**

"THATS IT IM CALLING THE POLICE!!!! JUVIA GET ROMEO!!!"

"Erza, calm down I'm sure- WAH! ERZA PUT THE KITCHEN TABLE DOWN!!!! COVER ROMEOS EYES JUVIA!!!"

I hastily turn around and cover Romeos curious eyes from Erza's violent nature. We hadn't heard a word from Levy and haven't seen her since yesterday morning, naturally Erza was a little worried.

"Juvia someones at the door!" Lucy called out while trying to convince Erza to put the table down for Romeo's sake.

"Hai!" I respond, maneuvering my way to the door so that Romeo doesnt see a seething Erza running around the kitchen with the table over her head.

"Yes?" I ask politely while poking my head out of the door, bouncing Romeo in my arms.

 _'How wierd.. Juvia doesn't see anyone...'_

"Down here."

"Eh? Oh! Levy-chan!!!! Where have you been?! We've been worried all morning!" I lean back inside our small apartment. "Erza-chan! Lucy-chan! It's Levy!!!"

A loud crash is heard, followed by a sudden gust of wind as Erza swoops in and snatches Levy up in a tight hug, checking her for any injuries. Levy sweatdrops. "W-what was that loud bang?"

"Just the kitchen table" Lucy said, looking quite relieved herself to see that Levy was alright. Levy grumbled something about kitchen tables being expensive but we ignored her and threw ourselves at her and Erza, even Romeo, knocking them over in our group hug. I don't know how long we layed there before we realized that Levy was crying.

"Levy?! Are you okay?! Are we squeezing you too hard?! I didn't mean to hurt you when I swooped you up!!!" Erza franically tried to apologize.

Levy hiccups and shakes her head with a smile. "N-no I'm-m just s-so lucky to h-have you g-guys. I'm s-so gratef-full. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I could hear Lucy's sudden intake of breath beside me and I felt my own throat closing up.

"I understand Levy, I feel the same way, but why the sudden..."

Levy

 _Have you ever felt like nobody was there?_

Erza blinked, confused.

 _Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?_

 _Have you ever felt like you could disappear?_

 _Like you could fall, and no one would hear?_

The silence hung like a curtain as Levy stared down at the ground, as if not expecting us to understand what she meant.

Then it clicked.

Her lyrics reminded me of myself. After what happened I felt so alone, so worthless. Like I could've died in that fountain or of hypothermia and it wouldn't have mattered to anyone. Heck, it almost didn't matter to me. But, I realize now that I'm not alone. I never was.

Erza puts a hand on Levy head and leans down so that their foreheads touch in a very sisterly manner.

Erza

 _Well, let that lonely feeling wash away_

 _Maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay_

 _'Cause when you don't feel strong enough to stand_

 _You can reach, reach out your hand_

Levy's eyes fill with tears as she realizes that she, that we all understood her. Already standing, Lucy reaches out her hands to help them up, smiling warmly at them. She pulls Levy into a warm embrace.

Lucy

 _And oh, someone will coming running_

 _And I know, they'll take you home_

Tears spill down my cheeks as I take Levy's hand and squeeze it, willing her and myself to believe what I tell her as I sing.

Juvia

 _Even when the dark comes crashing through_

 _When you need a friend to carry you_

 _And when you're broken on the ground_

 _You will be found_

Erza steps forward and places her hand on our adjoined ones.

Juvia and Erza

 _So let the sun come streaming in_

 _'Cause you'll reach up and you'll rise again_

Lucy also steps forward with Romeo on her hip and places her hand gently over ours as well.

Juvia, Erza, and Lucy

 _Lift your head and look around_

 _You will be found_

 _You will be found_

Levy lifts her head and a sob bubbles out of her throat as she genuinely smiles at us and we lean closer so that our head out touching, giving and recieving strength, love, and support from each other.

Girls

 _You will be found_

 _You will be found_

 _You will be found_

We feel the slight weight of another hand being set on ours. It was Romeo grinning toothlessly at us. A giggle rises from us and we tickle and nuzzle him mercilessly.

He squeals in delight, raising his arms up to the sky.

Thats when I felt it. The sun rays hitting my face. We look up, mesmerized by the beautiful rainbow that had formed right above us.


	4. Part 4

**7 years later**

 **Narrator POV**

It had been four years since the girls last saw the guys, and that was probably for the best. You can't get over a heartbreak if you constantly see your heartbreaker after all, even though, they never really got over them. More like, they sort of never thought about it. Instead, they focused on their studies. They finished high school with minimal problems and they even managed to graduate early from college because, to put it short, they're geniuses. Of course, they made time to spend with their new friends or "Bro's" as they called themselves.

If you looked at them today, you would think they were over it, that they had healed properly. But ignoring a wound isn't the same as tending and healing a wound...

 **General POV**

Swallowing, Lyon and Cobra peek at the audience from behind the curtain and their faces blanche from the amount of people they see. Rogue and Sting begin to rub their sweaty hands on their jeans trying lower their nervousness while Cobra and Lyon dramatically pass out.

"Is Lyon-sama alright?" Juvia asked, appearing out of no where along with Erza, Lucy, and Levy.

Shrieking, the guys jump back in surprise.

"Juvia! Wha- when did you all arrive?" Lyon exclaimed, shocked.

Over the years Juvia got taller, her hair grew past her shoulders in dazzling wavy blue locks down her back and her body curved in all the right places. Her ocean blue eyes shone with a gentleness that left most people speechless and in awe.

Levy really hadn't grown but an inch or two over the years, but her hair natually lost its frizz and was now at her shoulders and was as soft as baby hair, framing her face beautifully. Her hazel eyes sparkled with an intelligence beyond her years.

Lucy's silky blonde hair shone in the light and contrasted well with her chocolate brown eyes that held both a strength no one could a imagine, and yet such a kind-hearted gaze that you practically melted on the spot.

And Erza, her acne cleared up and her skin was softer than that of a baby. Her long scarlet hair left most girls jealous and she no longer needed glasses so now people could see her fierce gaze that held both a sweetness and a protectiveness for her family and friends.

They stepped forward with an amused grin, flashing their VIP cards at them. "You really think we would miss our bro's preformace in the finals?!"

Yes, Rogue, Sting, Lyon, and Cobra were in a talent show as a singing and dancing boyband. This wasn't a regular talent show though, this talent show you preformed in front of actual famous managers that chose if they would represent you or not in the final preformance.

Which was today.

Alas, famous manager or not, they suffered relentless teasing on behalf of the girls, who were also their number one fans and supporters. They tried to convince the girls to sing in the competition as well, but they chickened out.

"We're just a bit nervous." Rouge confessed.

Erza laughs and nudges him lightly with her foot, "You'll be fantastic! All of you! Trust me! Once you get up there and start your nerves will leave you and it'll just be you, the music, and the audience's cheers."

The guys glance at the other girls grinning faces and relax a bit, but not entirely.

"What song are you preforming anyway?" Lucy curiously asked while peaking at the large croud.

Sting nervously ran his fingers through his hair, "A song Loke the Lion wrote for us to preform."

Levy's eyes widened "THE Loke?! You guys that's amazing!"

They all groaned in response, "Exactly!"

"It has to be spectacular!" Rouge cried out.

"No room for mistakes!" Cobra added.

"AND ITS LIVE!!" They yelled unanimously.

All the boys proceeded to grow mushrooms in the janitors closet with a blue depressing auras surrounding them.

Sweatdropping, the girls cautiously approach the closet and peek inside.

"Juvia is confused. You all are fantastic singers, what are you worried about?"

"Its not the singing we're worried about..."Rogue replies, sticking his mushroom filled head out of the right side janitors closet door.

"Its the dancing." Sting finishes, poking his mushroom filled head above Rogue's.

Erza furrowed her eyebrows "But you're excellent dancers- _Will you stop growing mushrooms in that poor janitors closet?!"_

"Were good at dancing with you _all_ , but dancing with someone else, it's complicated." Lyon stated poking his mushroom filled head out of the left side of the door.

"Yeah, with you guys we don't see dancing as work, we see it as having fun! Carefree!" Cobra pointed out popping up above Lyon. "It's just a bonus that we're so good at dancing with you guys"

"Not to mention the judges are actual professional managers to famous celebrities." Rogue mumbled.

"Who are they anyway?" Levy curiously asked.

"Hinata Hyuga."

"Yukino Agria."

"And-"

"Wait!"

"Hold up!"

"Rewind!"

"Did you just say..."

"HINATA HYUGA?!" They yelled unanimously.

"BEST MANAGER OF MAVIS INC.?!"

"MANAGER OF THE FAMOUS MIRAJANE STRAUSS!!??"

The boys nodded grimly and proceeded to grow their mushrooms. The girls brains couldn't process what they had heard. The Hinata Hyuga was about to watch their friends preform and they were a nervous wreck.

"Preformers ready in 5!" The stage director called out.

The girls quickly scurry away as a mushroomed covered Lyon and Cobra drag out a mushroom covered Sting and Rogue from the janitors closet.

 _'The girls must've gone back to their seats...'_ Cobra thought as he nervously brushed the excess mushroom off of himself. He swallowed and was trying to calm him nerves down when he felt someone pulling lightly on his hair. He turns and see's Levy standing on a chair pulling a mushroom from his head, but that's not what shocked him. What shocked him, what shocked all of them, was that the girls were wearing crop tops and baggy pants that matched their own outfits.

Grinning, Juvia says "Do you really expect us to let you go out there and make fools of yourselves in front of THE Hinata Hyuga?!"

They stared at the girls blankly for a moment processing their words before rushing at them to give them a bonecrushing hug while crying big anime tears.

"Dancing with our cute little sisters!" They cried out while pulling their cheeks.

 **(On stage)**

The stage was dark and the performers were ready. The crowds scream was deafening the moment the music started. The stage lit up in dazzling light illuminating both Cobra and Lyon. He stood back to back with Lyon their arms crossed and heads down.

The crowd goes absolutely ballistic once Cobra starts rapping, grinning his signature wolfish grin. While rapping they walk up the stage towards the audience.

Cobra

 _Cobra!_

 _Now I may not be the worst or the best but you gotta respect my honesty._

 _And I may break your heart, but I don't really think there's anybody's as bomb as me_

They begin to clap, urging the audience to clap with them to the beat of the song.

Lyon

 _So you can take this chance, in the end everybody's gonna be wondering how ya deal_

 _You might say this is cold of me, but Rogue Sting tell em' how ya feel!_

Lyon and Cobra point to two dark corners of the stage as Lyon raps and immediately the corners light up revealing Rogue and Sting who are in a dramatic dance pose with Erza and Lucy. They begin to dance with them, spinning and twirling them like they always would whenever they danced for fun, as they sing their lyrics.

Rogue

 _Now listen to me baby_

Sting

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Rogue

 _Before I love and leave you_

Sting

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Rogue

 _They call me heart breaker_

Sting

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Rogue

 _I don't wanna deceive you_

Sting

 _If you fall for me_ _I'm not easy to please_

 _I might tear you apart_

 _Told you from the start, baby from the start._

As Sting finishes his lyrics they suddenly shoot away from their partners so they stand side by side facing the audience and dance in sync as if they were playing 'Just Dance.'

Sting and Rogue

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _Whoa_

 _Whoa_

The lights begin to flicker wildly and, as if by magic, there stood Levy, Juvia, Cobra and Lyon side by side as if they were the ones dancing all along. Cobra grabs Levy and Lyon grabs Juvia, dancing with them similarly to how Sting and Rogue danced with Lucy and Erza.

Cobra

 _There's no point trying to hide it_

Lyon

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Cobra

 _No point trying to evade it_

Lyon

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Cobra

 _I know I got a problem_

Lyon

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Cobra

 _Problem with misbehaving._

Lyon

 _If you fall for me_

 _I'm not easy to please_

 _I might tear you apart_

 _Told you from the start, baby from the start._

Just like before Lyon and Cobra spin the girls once and they stop mid- spin facing they audience, their shoulders back and their head head high, grinning madly as they dance in sync to the chorus.

Lyon and Cobra

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

Sting and Rogue appeared walking down the stage as they rapped their lyrics.

Sting

 _(That's all I'm gonna do woman)_

 _Listen, now I'm only gonna break your heart_

 _And shatter and spatter it all into little itty bitty pieces_

 _Whether or not you get it all together_

 _Then its finders keepers and losers weepers_

Rogue

 _See I'm not trying lead you on, no I'm only trying keep it real_

 _You might say this is dark of me, but Cobra, Lyon tell her how you feel!_

Lyon and Cobra appear beside Rogue and Sting as they begin to sing their lyrics.

Lyon

 _And I know karma's gonna get me back for being so cold_

Cobra

 _Like a big bad wolf I'm born to be bad and bad to the bone_

Lyon

 _If you fall for me I'm only gonna tear you apart_

Lyon and Cobra

 _Told ya from the start._

They point at the audience as the lights flicker off and the music whirs down for a second as if the power went out, before immediately flashing back on, illuminating the girls who mysteriously appeared beside them. Together as they danced in perfect synchronicity side by side completely forgeting about the cameras recording their every move to the public.

Guys

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I_ _'m only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

 _I'm only gonna break break ya break break ya heart_

The girls couldn't help but laugh as they danced the final steps before striking a silly yet professional pose at the last note of the song.

 _The. Crowd. Went. Absolutely. Wild._

They wave and bow at the cheering crowd and jog back behind the stage as the show went on a commercial break and the judges discussed their performance.

The guys couldn't help but give the girls relieved/excited bone-crushing hugs. Laughing at their enthusiasm they hug them back with equal force.

"You were _amazing_!!!" You didn't even need our help!" Lucy exclaimed, pumped with adrenaline and excitement.

"Oh. My. Mavis! That was so much fun!" Levy exclaimed eyes sparkling. "The lights, the music, the crowd!"

"Juvia agrees! Juvia would totally do it again!"

Erza merely nodded her head enthusiastically while unknowingly suffocating poor Rouge in her death hug.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE NOT HERE YET?! WE NEED TO HAVE A PERFORMANCE UP ON THAT STAGE IN THE NEXT TWO MINUTES!" Eyes widening they turn around and see the director yelling at furiously into his mouthpiece. "I DON'T CARE IF THEY'RE STUCK IN TRAFFIC! GET SOMEONE ON THAT STAGE. NOW."

They continue to watch as the director paces back and forth gripping his clipboard tightly.

"What is going on?" Erza asked curiously.

"I think we're down a preformance..."

Levy's eyes widened. "Can't they just end the show early?"

Lyon shook his head "It's not that simple."

"Mr. Director!" Sting suddenly called out while jogging up to him. The girls watched curiously as he spoke quietly, the director glancing at the girls every now and then, before he visibly sighed and nodding his head.

He turned and pointed at the girls "You have 25 seconds to get on that stage."

"...WHAT?"


	5. Part 5

**Levy** **POV**

"Come on!!!"

"I command you to release me!!!"

"Stop fooling around!!"

"Nay!!!"

"Let go of the floor, you're leaving creepy claw marks..."

"Juvia refuses!!!"

"What are you worried about?! You have excellent voices!!" Cobra said with an amused smirk, throwing our same exact words in our faces as he tries to pry me off the pillar I was clinging too.

"There are a million reasons why we shouldn't do this!!!!" We retorted.

They paused.

"Name one."

We loosen our grip slightly as we thought frantically for a reason. "Well for starters we're mo-"

"FIVE SECOND CALL!!! ALL PREFORMERS NEED TO GET THEIR ASSES ON STAGE NOW!!!"

With one final strong tug they lift us over their shoulders and scurry to the dark stage.

"ROGUE PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!!!!"

"I SWEAR TO MAVIS STING I WILL CUT YOU"

"LYON JUVIA KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE!!!"

"COBRA I WILL TELL EVERYONE ABOUT YOUR CRUSH ON YOU-KNOW-WHO!!"

All other threats are interupted by the spokesperson.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THERE HAS BEEN A SLIGHT CHANGE IN PLANS AND A NEW GROUP WILL BE PREFORMING IN THE PLACE OF FTH."

They set us down, shove mics into our hands, and run off the stage faster than the speed of light, leaving us gawking at the enormous cheering crowd like a flock of scared chickens.

 **General POV**

 _'I swear I'm going to rip out their eyes and shove them down their throats.'_ The girls simultaneously thought as they desperately tried to think of a way out of their current predicament.

"What the hell are you standing around for?!" The dirrectors enraged voice rings in their earpeices. "SING!!!"

Startled into action, Juvia begins to hesitantly sing the first song that comes to mind.

Juvia

 _I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me_

 _I still feel your touch in my dreams_

Snapping out of her daze, Lucy immediately recognizes the song Juvia is singing.

 _'Oh Juvia...'_ Lucy thought wistfully. Taking her hand as support with a bright smile.

Lucy

 _Forgive me my weakness, but I don't know why_

 _Without you it's hard to survive_

Juvia looks at Lucy and hesitantly squeezes her hand as a thank you. Their smiles slowly morph into grins that say _'Let's show them what we got.'_

Music begins to play to the beat of the song as Lucy and Juvia shoot away from each other and begin to dance.

Juvia

 _'Cause every time we touched, I got this feeling_

Lucy

 _And every time we kissed I swear I could fly_

Juvia

 _Can't you feel my heart beat fast,_

Lucy

 _I want this to last_

Lucy and Juvia

 _Need you by my side_

Juvia and Lucy linked hands and danced with each other, laughing with glee. They spun each other like they were the only two people on the stage.

Juvia and Lucy

 _'Cause every time we touched, I feel the static_

 _And every time we kissed I reached for the sky_

 _Can't you hear my heart beat so_

 _I can't let you go_

 _Want you in my life_

Levy and Erza watched in awe as Lucy and Juvia seemed to have the time of their lives dancing and singing like it was regular karaoke night in their pajamas, singing into their hairbrushes, carwheeling and doing flips all around the stage, their hair flying everywhere as they danced. Levy's mouth twitches into a small grin which Erza mirrored as Juvia and Lucy dramatically cued them to start singing the second verse.

Levy

 _Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky_

 _They wipe away tears that I cry_

Levy felt her heart pounding so hard she thought her chest would explode. Erza placed her hand on her head in a comforting manner.

Erza

 _The good and the bad times we've been through them all_

 _You make me rise when I fall_

From the corner of their eyes they could see Lyon, Cobra, Sting, and Rouge cheering them on from backstage. Levy and Erza closed their eyes and smiled to themselves, swaying to the music as they sang.

Levy

 _'Cause every time we touched, I got this feeling_

Erza

 _And every time we kissed I swear I could fly_

Levy

 _Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last_

Levy and Erza

 _Need you by my side_

Feeling more courageous they begin to tap their feet to the music and dance a bit more.

Levy and Erza

 _'Cause every time we touch, I feel the static_

 _And every time we kiss I reach for the sky_

 _Can't you hear my heart beat so_

 _I can't let you go_

 _Want you in my life_

They began to dance for real this time. They spun dramatically in place and backflipped so that they were standing right beside Lucy and Juvia. Together they went all out, doing crazy stunts like doing aerials over each other and crazy dances like The Floss dance! The crowd was screaming in excitement, they did not know where to look because there was just so much going on! It was too much for them to take in!

Girls

 _'Cause every time we touched, I got this feeling_

 _And every time we kissed I swear I could fly_

 _Can't you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last_

 _Need you by my side_

At the last moments of the song a strong gust of air was blown at them, making their hair fly back and making their ending waaayyy more dramatic.

That's when the girls learned a very powerful lesson.

Crowd control saves lives.

 **Erza**

I officially declare myself deaf.

Even with the earpeices, the immensity of the crowds cheers leaves my ears ringing. I'm breathing heavily, the sweat on my brow making my damp bangs stick to my forehead, but I can't seem to wipe this enormous grin off my face.

We quickly wave and bow to the crowd and scurry backstage where we were assaulted by four sobbing boys.

"YOU WERE AMAZING!!!!!"

"AYE!!! A PREFORMACE LIKE THAT WOULD'VE GIVEN FITH HARMONY A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY!!!!"

"MY LITTLE JUVIA-CHAN IS ALL GROWN UP AND SAVING TV SHOWS NOW!!!"

We rolled our eyes at their extra-ness. I would've responded, of course by respond I mean drop kick them from here to next tuesday for doing this to us, but my trembling legs decided at that moment to just give in.

"What the hell?!" Levy cried out as she ineffectively tried to stand again

"Don't worry," Cobra said with a loud laugh. "This happened to us on our very first preformance too!"

"This is worse than being jetlagged!" Lucy cried out while trying unsuccessfully to at least stand. Juvia just accepted defeat and just laid there. Lyon rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You're just reacting this way cause the adrenaline is gone and now you're super drained."

"How are we supposed to get home like this?! I can't drive in this condi- KYAA!"

My complaint was cut off by Rogue scooping me up in a piggy back ride and freaking sprinting out through the exit. I could hear Lucy, Levy, and Juvia's screams of terror not too far behind me.

"WHAT THE HELL ROGUE!!! I SWEAR TO MAVIS I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?! WHAT ABOUT THE SHOW?!"

He turns his head slightly "Final Results aren't announced till tommorow! No point in waitin' around! Besides you all looked tired!"

I blinked at him and slowy smiled.

 _'I'm still gonna kill you when I walk again.'_


	6. Part 6

**Juvia's POV**

"Aunt Juvwi wake up!"

"Aunt Juvwiiiii!!! Wakeeeee uuuupppppp!!!! Wakeupwakeupwakeup!!!"

I groan from beneath my blankets and flop over, using the pillow to cover my ears to block out my intruder. Little soon to be six year old Romeo jumps onto my bed and shakes me wildly.

"Aunty!!! Revweille!"

I snicker at his horrible prononciation of the french word and quickly whip out from beneath my blankets and assault him with tickles and kisses.

"NOOOO!!! AUNT JUVWI THAT TWICKLES!" He shrieks loudly while trying to escape my wrath.

"What does? Oh, you mean this?" I lift his shirt and blow a loud raspberry on his stomach. He shrieks loudly, his laughter reverberating off the walls and down the hallway, filling every inch of my soul, and probably waking up Lucy who was usually the last to wake up. I nuzzle his cheek and bring him into a tight hug, falling back onto the bed without breaking my grip on him.

There were only three laughs that filled me up with such happiness. My friends laughter and Romeo's laughter.

"Aunt Ewrza told me to come wake you and aunt Wucy up," He said as he tried to wiggle out of my hug, being the almost six-year-old boy that he is, he didn't like to say confined in the same position for too long. "Before Uncle Stwing and the west of them wake up and eat all the pwancakes!"

"Don't worry, Juvia will make sure they leave you some pancakes!"

"Did they get into a fwight?" he asked with a worried look after he managed to get one arm free. "They wooked all bwuised up, and I think Uncle Wogue had a bwack eye..."

"No Romeo, don't worry, they just fell."

 _'Into Erza's fist'_ I added mentally.

He made an adorable _'ohh'_ face that melted my heart.

"You're so cute Romeo!!" I cried out while entrapping him in another hug.

"Aunt Juvwiiii!" He whined with small pout, causing me to laugh heartily.

"Alright, alright. Lets go wake up Aunt Lucy so we can eat some of aunt Erza's famous strawberry and nutella pancakes!" I exclaim while picking him up and carrying him to the Lucy's room. His eyes sparkled brightly at the mention of nutella. He wiggles out of my grasp as we near her room and knocks heartily at door before pushing it open. I watch from the door as he climbs the little staircase Lucy put at the edge of her bed so he could actually get onto her bed.

"Aunt Wucy! Wake up!" He whispered as he shakily climbed over her legs and sat on her stomach, gently poking and probing at her face in an effort to wake her up. "Aunt Wucy!!! Huwy!!! Befwo uncle Wyon eats all the nutwella agwain!"

Lucy laughed at the memory.

A few months ago we invited the guys over for breakfast and Lyon had been quick to grab a spoon and begin to eat straight out of the nutella jar without anyone noticing. The moment Lyon saw Romeos dejected face when the boy was told that there was no more nutella he immediately began crying huge anime tears, begging for forgiveness.

He even went as far as to buy the entire nutella company just to give Romeo all the nutella he wanted. So now we received monthly shipments of free nutella, but Romeo doesn't understand business, so Lyon is forever the nutella stealing uncle.

"Alright I'm awake Romeo, I'm awake."

"Yay!!!" He exclaimed with a little hop, causing Lucy to grunt since he was still sitting on her.

"Go on ahead with Juvia, I'll go in a minute." She said while giving him a quick peck on his forehead.

"Okway!" He slides off the side of the bed and scrambles over to me, holding out his arms to me. I pick him up and walk to our kitchen.

We still live in the small, cozy, shack-like house but we were currently looking for a bit larger home. In our current arrangement I shared a room with Erza while Lucy shared the other room with Levy. Romeo slept in whichever room he felt like. The angel tried to take turns sleeping in each room so we wouldn't feel dejected.

"Ohayo Erza and Levy!" I greeted with a yawn as I set Romeo on the highstool. He was getting a bit big to be carried, but I guess it's a good work out.

"Ohayo Juvia, how'd you sleep?"

"Like a rock." I replied while stretching. Levy came around the counter with Romeo's sippy cup full of apple juice.

"Thwank ju!" Romeo said with a cute head tilt and a smile.

Levy seemed paralyzed for a moment before turning and dramatically clutching her heart. "Too cute.." She mumbled as tears streamed down her face.

"Aye." I said as I joined in on her crying while hugging her.

"Ohayo minn- WHAT'RE YOU CRYING ABOUT?!" Lucy cried out.

"Shhh!" Erza harshly whispered at us while whipping around in her favorite strawberry apron to glare at us. "They're sleeping!"

Not two seconds after she says that a painful groan is heard from the living room.

"Not anymore."

"You know who I meant." Erza said with an eye-roll.

"Damn, I feel like I've been hit by a truck." Lyon groaned while flopping over onto his stomach.

"No kidding." Sting replied as he used the couch to lift himself up.

Romeo watched them curiously through the opening right above the counter while absentmindedly sipping his juice.

"Monster Titania strikes again.. ouch.."

"You'd think she'd be a bit more merciful on us."

"Mwonstwer?" Romeo asked, turning to us with a fearful gaze.

"Don't listen them, they're just speaking nonsense." Erza said, sending death glares to the guys over Romeo head. "Besides, your Aunty Erza stronger than any monster out there!"

Romeo smiled at her reassurances and turns his attention back to his sippy cup, absentmindedly swinging his legs on the highstool. Erza returns his smile while expertly throwing her cooking spoon at Rogue, hitting him smack dab right in the face, knocking him out once more.

"Oh look at the time!!" Lyon nervously said while jumping to his feet. "Its almost time for them to announce who won!"

I watch, amused, resting my head on my hand over the kitchen counter as he frantically searched for the TV remote while Cobra and Sting fanned and cried over a dead-looking Rogue.

"Aunt Wevy!" Romeo called out while holding the TV remote in both of his hands since it was still a bit to big for him to hold with just one hand. Levy smiled and lifted him off the highstool. He scrambled away to the living room.

With a chuckle I pull away from the counter and saunter over to the fridge and pour myself some blue raspberry juice.

"He's growing up so fast." Levy absentmindedly said.

"I remember when he could just barely walk." Lucy said with a memorable smile.

I smile at the memory as I sip my juice before going over to help them make breakfast.

"Erza where are the strawberries?"

"Middle shelf, beside the whipped cream." She replied while expertly flipping a pancake.

"Beside the..- Oh found it!" I grin triumphantly as I reach to grab them.

 **"Welcome back to Fiores Number One show for aspiring celebrities! Last night our judges witnessed all performances, both good, bad, AND unexpected! They got a good night's rest to think about who they want for their company! Now here with us live and ready to tell us just who the lucky winners are!!!"**

Loud cheers were heard from the crowd as the boys settled around the TV like excited little children.

 **"Representing Sabertooh inc. it's the lovely Yukino Agria!"**

I turn to the TV and see a cute woman with short pale hair smile and wave at the camera.

"K-kawaii..."

We glance sharply at a blushing love-struck Sting and smirk evily at each other, Lucy's smirk the scariest of all.

"I MEAN KIWI! I MEANT TO SAY KIWI! I WANT KIWI ON MY PANCAKES" He tried to futilely correct, but it was too late.

 **"Representing MAVIS Corp. it's the charming Hinata Hyuga!** "

The camera turns to a adorable bluenette with violet eyes who blushes and smiles shyly at the camera.

"Kyaaaa!!! She's so gorgeous!!!" I fangirled.

"And cute!!"

"And not to mention-"

 _"Totally amazing!!!"_ We finish together with sparkling eyes.

Rogue eyed us warily. "Eh? What's so great about her?"

"You don't know?!" Lucy exclaimed, shocked.

They all shrug in response.

"Hinata Hyuga," Levy began in an authoritative voice while pulling down a white screen from thin air as images began play on it. "Is a descendant of the Hyuga family-"

"You dont say!" Cobra drawled before being smacked in the face with Levy's shoe.

"AND THEREFORE is the direct inheriter of the Hyuga fortune." She continued while whipping out a large pointer from thin air pointing at Hinata's picture in a large family tree image.

Lucy and I sat as close as possible with a bowl of popcorn as Levy- who seemed to have been waiting her whole life to give this presentation- presented.

 _"Where is she getting those things??"_ Lyon whispers to Sting who shrugs in return.

"But," Levy continued. "She rejected her families money for reasons unknown and built herself up from scratch and now," Levy tugs on the string of the white screen, causing it to go back to whatever origins it came from. "She is the number one manager of one of the top three music corporation industries!" She finishes with sparkling star eyes.

"What a trooper!!" Erza calls out from the kitchen, dabbing her watering eyes with a tissue as Lucy, Romeo, and I clapped and cheered from where we were seated.

The boys looked like they were still trying to figure out where the screen came from.

"Did anyone catch who the last manager was?" Lucy asked once we turned our attention back to the TV.

"Nope."

"Meh, probably wasn't that important anyway."

"SHHH THEY'RE ANNOUNCING!!!!" Lyon shrieked.

"After much thought and pondering," Yukino began with a sweet smile. "I made my decision at 2:37 am on my third round of coffee." She let out a light stressed chuckle. "Joining me in Sabertooth inc. is..."

The screen zooms in on Yukino as she dramatically opens a golden envelope.

"Why does she need a golden envelope?" Levy questioned. "She already knows who it is just say it!"

"SHHHHH!"

"Why do they make these so dramatically long." Lucy whined while flopping over.

"HUSH!!!"

"It does not take that long to open and read envelope." I muttered.

"SILENCE!!!!"

Okay okay, yeesh.

"... The winners for Sabertooth inc. are-"

"PANCAKES ARE READY!!!!!"

"OH MY AJXNWIDNIAOANDIWOAO SHHHUUUSHHH WOMAN!!" They simultaneously yelled at a proud looking Erza who was standing at the kitchen entrance with a twenty layer pancake stack in each hand.

Her flowery atmosphere did not cease as she quickly turned and carefully set each stack of pancakes on the kitchen table.

"You want to run that by me again?" She said sweetly as she turned around to face them, her eyes suddenly glowing evil red.

All four boys looked like their souls left their bodies.

"W-what we meant was-"

"Uncle Cobwa is on TV!" A delighted Romeo cried out, interrupting the boys homicide.

"I beg your pardon?"

Romeo giggled. "Wook!"

Cheers rose from the crowd as Yukino, who had just announce who had won, smiled at the camera. In the far right corner of the TV screen showed the boys performance from last night with little fire works around the borders.

They stared at the TV in shock, the most intelligent sound they made consisted of,

"Eh?"

"Wha?"

"Who?"

Followed by:

"EH?!"

"WHA?!"

"WHO?!"

"They won." Lucy murmured in wonder as we all turned to the guys who were trying to get a grasp on reality. We looked at each other before breaking into huge grins.

 _"You guys freaking won a place in Sabertooth inc. !!!"_ We shrieked simultaneously while freaking out, hugging each other them in our excitement.

"We...won?" Lyon said, turning to Cobra as if he didn't understand what the words meant.

"Yes!" Levy cried out with joy. "Rogue Cheney, Lyon Vastia, Sting Eucliffe and Cobra have won yourselves the BEST manager of all Sabertooth Inc.!!!!!" She elaborated, her voice getting more high pitched from her excitement as she explained.

"Oh my Mavis." Sting said while putting a hand to his forehead in shock as it suddenly dawned to him what they were saying.

"We won." He whispered to himself before turning to the others. "We won!"

And just like that, the thread snapped. With a loud whoop they grouped hugged each other, they hugged us, they even swung us around in their excitement! Even Romeo was laughing and clapping along, even if he didn't understand why.

"I can't believe it!!!" Lyon said laughing.

"A place in Sabertooth." Sting reminisced as if he couldn't imagine it.

"And it's all thanks you you four." Rogue said turning to us, the rest of them nodding in agreement.

"Well," Erza said. "I wouldn't go so far as to say its all thanks to-"

Erza trailed off as her focus shifted back to the TV, her eyes going from delight, to confusion, and finally settling on dread.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Erza-san? What's wrong?"

She merely pointed at the TV with a shaky finger.

 **"-I repeat, Hinata Hyuga has just announced that the winners for MAVIS Corp. is act number seven!"**

"What's so terrible about tha- _oh...oh no..."_ Lucy began, before her voice dropped as she watched the video of said performance number seven.

Levy's hand went up to her mouth in shock and it was all I could do not to do the same.

There, on the screen.

The MAVIS Corp. winning act number seven.

Was none other than _**us.**_


	7. Part 7

**Jellal POV**

 ***A few weeks ago***

We were at some hot shot's grand party, the kind rich people threw for the public to see their wealth with loud music, famous DJ, and even a real stage with live preformers. A friend invited us, and since we had nothing better to do that night we attended. In hindsight, it should've been a great party. Alcohol, girls, even the large pool area outside. But... The so called live professional preformers were, to put it nicely, _terrible_.

From the base of the grand staircase where I was standing, I could see the DJ frown when the lead singer told him the next song to play. A girl near me grimaced and exited the party along with a mini crowd as the intro to a Justin Bieber began to play. Natsu literally choked on his drink which then lead to Gajeel pounding his back.

"Gah! Stop! What are you trying to do?! Make me cough up my spleen?!"

"Your welcome."

I chuckled and shook my head at their antics. By now there were only maybe ten or so people inside, mostly to get drinks.

"Get your asses off that stage!" Bellowed a voice from the top on the staircase, startling Natsu so much he jumped into Gajeels arms with a small shriek, drawing the mans attention to us. "YOU FOUR! I WILL PAY YOU FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO REPLACE THOSE BAFOONS."

 _Excuse me, what? Ha! You wouldn't catch me dead up there, singing and dancing like some kind of-_

"EACH!"

We were on that stage adjusting the mics to our height faster than he could say 'cash or check?'

"What song?" The DJ asked. I sputtered the first song that came to mind.

Almost immediately the music started and the dance floor lit up going with the beat of the music. From the booth the DJ gave them a grin and a thumbs up while working the beats. Gajeel chuckled when he recognized the song playing. I couldn't help but smirk as I began to sing the lyrics.

 **General POV**

Jellal

 _Yo te miro y se me corta la respiración_

 _Cuando tú me miras se me sube el corazón_

Gray

 _(Me palpita lento el corazon)_

The few people who were still inside gave a loud cheer as they began to sing. Soon they began to head towards the dancefloor, dancing along to the music. People began to crowd in from the pool, curious to see what was going on.

Jellal

 _Y en un silencio tu mirada dice mil palabras_

 _La noche en la que te suplico que no salga el sol_

Jellal points at Gajeel and says "Show 'em what you got man!" Gajeel strides up with a confident smirk as he begins to sing.

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Natsu

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Natsu

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Tú cuerpo y el mío_

 _Llenando el vacìo_

 _Subiendo y bajando_

Gray

 _(Subiendo y bajando)_

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Natsu

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Natsu

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Ese fuego por dentro_

 _Me está enloqueciendo_

 _Me va saturando_

"Lets go Gray!" Gajeel yells as Gray strides forward with a hot grin as he sings.

Gray

 _Con tu física y tu química_

 _También tu anatomía_

 _La cerveza y el tequila_

 _Y tu boca con la mía_

 _Ya no puedo más_

Gajeel

 _(Ya no puedo más)_

Gray

 _Ya no puedo más_

Gajeel

 _(Ya no puedo más)_

With a devilish grin Gajeel sings his next verse.

Gajeel

 _Con esta melodía_

 _Tu color_

 _Tu fantasía_

 _Con tu filosofía_

 _Mi cabeza está vacía_

 _Y ya no puedo más_

Gray

 _(Ya no puedo mas)_

Gajeel

 _Ya no puedo más_

Gray

 _(Ya no puedo mas)_

Natsu smirk flirtatiously at the crowd as he sang. He sweardropped as a few girls fainted and were pulled away on stretchers.

Natsu

 _Yo quiero estar contigo_

 _Vivir contigo_

 _Bailar contigo_

 _Tener contigo una noche loca_

Jellal

 _(Una noche loca)_

Natsu

 _Y besar tu boca_

Jellal

 _(Y besar tu boca)_

Natsu

 _Yo quiero estar contigo_

 _Vivir contigo_

 _Bailar contigo_

 _Tener contigo una noche loca_

 _Con tremenda nota_

Natsu grinned at the audience while yelling "Come on guys sing with us!"

Audience and Guys:

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

As if in slow motion the crowd began to part around them as they danced and that's when they saw _them_. Four girl in mysterious masks. One with a red mask, another with a blue one, the other two had an orange and pink mask. They were all dancing, shaking their hips to the music. They we're so entranced from the sight that they almost missed the entrance to the next verse.

Jellal

 _Tú me miras y me llevas a otra dimensión_

Gray

 _(Estoy en otra dimension)_

Jellal stared at the girl with the red mask. She was wearing a short red and black dress that hugged her curves and matched her black hair and red mask.

Jellal

 _Tus latidos aceleran a mi corazón_

Natsu

 _(Tus latidos aceleran a mi corazón)_

Jellal

 _Que ironía del destino no poder tocarte_

 _Abrazarte y sentir la magia de tu olor_

Their eyes meet for a split second, but that's all it takes to leave Jellal breathless.

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Natsu

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Jellal

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Tú cuerpo y el mío_

 _Llenando el vacìo_

 _Subiendo y bajando_

Gajeel stared at the girl with the orange mask. She wore black heels and a short orange dress with a black belt around her waist. Her green short curls bounced as she danced.

Gray

 _(Subiendo y bajando)_

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Natsu

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Bailando_

Natsu

 _(Bailando)_

Gajeel

 _Ese fuego por dentro_

 _Me está enloqueciendo_

 _Me va saturando_

The girl looks up at him as he finishes his verse and smiles slightly before closing her eyes and shaking her hips to the music. Gajeel's heart stops and feels himself going lava red.

Gray

 _Con tu física y tu química_

 _También tu anatomía_

 _La cerveza y el tequila_

 _Y tu boca con la mía_

 _Ya no puedo más_

Gray was entranced by the other taller girl. She wore a short black and blue dress that complimented her mask and mile long pale legs. She had her eyes closed as she danced. Gray watched her as she spun once, her voilet hair flying, and opened her eyes. The world seem to stop as she stared into her ocean blue eyes. He almost forgot to finish his verse.

Jellal

 _(Ya no puedo más_ )

Gray

 _Ya no puedo más_

Jellal

 _(Ya no puedo más)_

Gajeel was struggling to remember the lyrics to the song as he continued to watch the short woman.

Gajeel

 _Con esta melodía_

 _Tu color_

 _Tu fantasía_

 _Con tu filosofía_

 _Mi cabeza está vacía_

 _Y ya no puedo más_

Natsu

 _(Ya no puedo mas)_

Gajeel

 _Ya no puedo más_

Natsu

 _(Ya no puedo mas)_

Natsu

 _Yo quiero estar contigo_

 _Vivir contigo_

 _Bailar contigo_

 _Tener contigo una noche loca_

Natsu watched the brunette girl with the pink mask. She had a short black and pink dress that exposed her long legs. He was entranced by her movements. He blushed deeply when the lyrics he just sang came back to haunt him as he stared.

Gray

 _(Una noche loca)_

Natsu

 _Y besar tu boca_

Gray

 _(Y besar tu boca)_

Natsu

 _Yo quiero estar contigo_

 _Vivir contigo_

 _Bailar contigo_

 _Tener contigo una noche loca_

 _Con tremenda nota_

Before Natsu's mind could catch up with his body he jumped down from the stage and began to walk towards her, as if drawn to her. From the corner of his eye he saw that the other guys had began to do the same but with the girls they had been staring at.

Audience and Guys

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Random girls began to dance around them blocking their way and making them go in the opposite direction.

Guys

 _Bailando amor_

They frantically try to go against the human current as they begin to loose sight of the unknown dancing beauties.

Audience

 _Oh oh oh oh_

Guys

 _Bailando amor_

They loose sight of them completely and begin to panic looking around for the girls.

Audience

 _Oh oh oh_

 _Oh oh_

Guys

 _Es que se me va el dolor_

To their dismay they see a flash of blue, red, orange and pink exiting the building as they finish their song.

Audience

 _Oh oh oh oh_

They end the song with a wave of emotions coursing through them, the main one curiosity and wonder.

 _'Who are those girls?'_


	8. Part 8

**Present Time/Erza POV**

"I demand to speak to someone in charge!" I slam my hands down, startling the lady at the front desk. "There has been a great mistake!"

I never imagined our first time in MAVIS Corp. would be to basically get ourselves kicked out of MAVIS Corp.

"I-I'm sorry M-miss, but by s-stepping onto that s-stage you automatically a-agreed to the t-terms and s-services of the s-show." She stammered nervously, shrinking under my tall stature.

"What terms and services?!?!" I bellowed.

The lady squeaked and dove under her desk in fear, a few moments later a shakey hand appears from under the desk with a piece of paper labeled _'Terms and Services'._ Snatching it out of her hands I hand it to Levy who expertly skims it. If anyone can figure a way out, its Levy.

"Well Levy-chan?" Lucy asked, nervously wringing her hands. Levy merely looked up with a slight panicked expression and shook her head.

 _'I guess MAVIS corp doesn't play when it comes to preformers.'_

Levy opened her mouth to explain when she suddenly froze on the spot, her eyes flashing so many different emotions I couldn't read them.

"What's wrong Lev-" I abruptly cut off due to my slack jaw. Beside me, Juvia began to hyperventilate and Lucy was digging her nails to my arm.

It

Was

Freaking

The

Hinata

Hyuga

IN.

THE.

FLESH.

It seemed to be happening in slow motion. Her long blue hair cascading down her shoulders, her light lilac eyes smiling kindly as she approaches us with a soft smile to match. Our eyes widened with every step she took closer to us, to the point that they must've resembled dinner plates.

She paused and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when we began to unconsciously step back with every step she took forward.

"Is something the matter?"

And just like that, the string broke. Levy let out a high pitched squeal that could have shattered mirrors, Lucy lost function of her legs and fell to the floor, and Juvia made some weird choking/screeching noises. I took the more civilized approach and openly stared at her like a gaping fish while pointing at her with my finger muttering "Y-y-you're H-h-inata H-h-hyuga."

"Y-yes," she responded softly, tilting her head in a confused manner. "Will she be alright?" She motioned to a writhing Lucy in the floor.

At that was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

"Are you sure they'll be alright?"

Have I ever been wrong before?"

"Well billboard brow, there was that time you thought Hinata was pregnant and it turned out she just had a viru-"

"Shut up Ino-pig! That was years ago! I was still a rookie then!"

"I remember that! It's still pretty funny."

"N-no it wasn't! How was I going to explain to everyone that I got pregnant but was still a virgin." A pause. "Unless I got raped and I didn't notice..."

"How the hell would you not notice?!"

Their conversation was cut off by my laughter. "Levy, I just had the most ridiculous dream! I actually dreamt that we went to MAVIS Corp. to get everything settled out and that we met the Hinata Hyuga and we got so excited that we passed out!" I looked around the room. It looked a lot like the nurse room form my highschool days.

A giggle to my left is heard. "Juvia had the same crazy dream!"

"Me too! Not only that but I dreamt that Sakura Haruno was giving me first aid!"

"Pfft! As if that could beat my dream! I dreamt that Tenten was fanning me with a magazine!"

"Nothing beats dreaming that Ino Yamanaka was feeling Juvia's forehead for a fever!"

We all giggle and fall back on the nurse beds. "We really are going crazy, we need to watch less red carpet shows."

Ahead of me a throat is cleared. "Uh, hi! We're still here!"

eh?

I turn my head to see a bright, bubbly blonde waving excitedly at me from the foot of the nurse bed I was in. Beside her was a smiling pinkette and a semi-serious brunette with two buns. My eyes widen and I do a double take.

"E-erza...Juvia's going crazy..."

"No,...I see them too..."

I swallowed as my vision shifted again to Hinata. _'SHE STILL LOOKS SO FREAKING CUTE SDAFNAODFASODFJAIDFNN OMG WHAT A PRECIOUS CINNAMON BUN'_

"Hey hey! Calm down! Everything is fine!" the pink haired girl rushed to my side and placed her hand on my shoulder with a reassuring smile. I was fangirling so hard in my head I nearly passed out. Again.

"Oh dear, But you were all so brave and confident in your performance..." Hinata said with a worried look. "We'll need to work on this ASAP..."

"Just leave it to me Hina-chan!" The blonde struck a pose, a flowery aura suddenly appearing behind her. "I'll have them strutting their stuff confidently in no time!"

"Thank you, Ino-chan."

Their words brought us back to reality.

"Wait!"

"There's been a mistake!"

"We can't go through with this!"

"You must reconsider!"

Her flowery aura dropped at an instant. "Eh?"

"Hyuga-san you must reconsider you choice! We are not what you think we are!"

"We weren't even supposed to be on that stage in the first place!"

"Yes! Juvia and her friends were only there by chance because the true act was running late!"

"We love you so much we don't want to be the reasons the career you worked on so hard your entire life crashed!" We all cried out desperately.

Hinata just stood there with her mouth agape, staring down at us us because we had jumped off the beds and bowed before her in an exaggerated manner. "Pl-please get up! I'm quite embarrassed..."

"WWWAAAAHHHH!!! JUVIA HASN'T EVEN BEGUN THE JOB AND SHE'S ALREADY EMBARRASSED HYUGA-SAN!!! WAAAHHH!!!"

"Well done Hina, well done." said the amused brunette.

"N-no! That's not what I meant! Please stop crying!" Hinata frantically tried to reassure Juvia. "I meant the formal bowing and name! Please, call me by my first name!"

Juvia's tears dried up immediately and we stared at her in shock. _Calling Hinata Hyuga...by her first name?!?!?_

"Wah! Sakura-chan! They're fainting again!"

We tried our best to pull ourselves together. "We came here to try and get this entire thing sorted out!"

"I see..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, I could file a release letter and let you all go."

"B-but that'll ruin your perfect record!" Sakura cried out. Hinata merely smiled, "This is a tough industry Sakura-chan, I will not drag someone who does not want this into here."

"Is there not a way we can do this without staining your perfect record?" Lucy meekly asked.

Hinata shook her head with a kind smile. "Don't worry! Everything will be fine! I'll just get started on the paperwork..."

Her voice faded away as I got a sinking feeling in my gut. We've come to realize that when people say 'Everything will be fine.' it's because their sacrificing something big. It could be a sacrifice for the greater good, like what Hinata was doing for us, or, it was a horrible sacrifice, like what happened to us seven years ago... either way, the sacrifice always ended up hurting someone in some way! We _couldn't_ let that happen to Hinata, she was our role model! One of our most favorite people in the world! We would rather die than be the reason her perfect record was suddenly, not perfect. She worked way too hard for too long to get to where she is now. We refuse to be the reason she wasn't the best anymore.

"-you just need to sign some pape-"

"No." I said firmly.

"H-huh?"

"We won't bail out on you. It's happened to us many times before, we refuse to be someone like that." Lucy said determinedly.

"B-but you-"

"We willingly stepped on that stage, therefore we automatically agreed to all the terms and services of the show." _'Even if we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into.'_

"Juvia and her friends are seeing this through to the end!" Juvia said with conviction.

Our grand speech is interrupted by the sounds of sniffles and sobs.

"Th-that was beautiful!" Sobbed Ino, hugging a blubbering Sakura who clung to a watery eyed Tenten who was trying her best to remain composed.

"Are you sure?" Hinata hesitantly asked us. We gave her a strong nod.

"KYAA~ I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! GROUP HUG!!!" Sakura, Ino and Tenten cried out.

Almost immediately, we're engulfed in a large hug... _with Hinata Hyuga!!!!!!!!!_

"Wah! I'm sorry, I forgot! Don't faint! Don't go into the light!"

"...This may be a problem..."

"No, no, we'll get ahold of ourselves eventually! Its just not everyday you get to meet your favorite celebrity!"

Hinata blushed and looked away timidly. "I'm not a celebrity! Im just a manager!"

"The best manager in MAVIS Corp!!" I countered.

Hinata turned and looked to her friends in exasperation, but all they did was grin at our excitedness and tease her for having her very own fangirls. She slumped her shoulders and gave a defeated sigh.

"Allow me to properly introduce you to my team." Hinata motions to the beautiful bubbly blonde. "Yamanaka, Ino. She's in charge of your makeup and fashion. She also happens to be a fulltime flirt."

The blonde gives a dramatic pose and winks, mysteriously holding up a styling brush and a makeup kit.

"Haruno, Sakura. Acting coach and part time medic." The pink haired girl appeared suddenly wearing a cute nurse outfit, standing to pose beside Ino, smiling cutely.

"This is Tenten. She's our choreographer and weapon expert." The brunette poses beside Sakura, holding two razor sharp shuriken close to her face. " Don't ask. She has a thing for sharp objects."

"And, of course, myself. Hyuga, Hinata. Manager. I'll be in charge of overseeing and booking you events and tours as well as your well-being, but please, don't think of us as your colleges, think of us as your friends."

"Wow!" We cried out, our eyes sparkling brightly. _'Our very own team!'_

"Your turn!" Ino said.

"H-huh? Oh! McGarden, Levy. But please, call me Levy!" Levy bounced on her toes and waved.

"Heartfilia, Lucy. Lu-chan Is fine though!" Lucy said with a bright smile.

"Lockser, Juvia! Juvia prefers Juvia though!" Juvia said with a grin.

"Scarlet, Erza. You may call me Erza."

Hinata nodded and clapped her hands once. "Well, there's lots of work to be done so, lets get to it! You have your first music video to film before-" She checks the time. "3 pm tomorrow!"

Excuse me, what?!

"EH?!?!"

"What you didn't know?" Tenten asked.

"It's customary for new recruits to submit a music video within the first twenty four hours of employment in MAVIS Corp. Think of it as a preliminary test!" Ino piqued.

"You expect us to write an entire song in only-" Levy checked the clock- "fourteen hours?!"

Hinata nodded. "And also, you have to do this all on your own. We cannot interfere in this test."

A sniffle is heard. "We can't even see it until it's finished" Sakura complained.

Needless to say, we began to hyperventilate.

"But we only have fourteen hours!!"

"I don't work well under pressure!"

"We need more time!"

Tenten arched her eyebrow at us. "Don't work well under pressure?! Woman you freaking waltzed onto a stage without a minute to plan anything out, preformed an entire song, and got yourselves the best manager and team MAVIS Corp has to offer!! If that's what you could do with no planning imagine what you could do with fourteen entire hours of planning!!"

Well, with that logic...

"B-but we dont even know what to write about.." Lucy protested.

"Anything! That's what I love about music! It can literally be about anything! It doesn't even have to make sense! It can literally be nonsense- that doesn't mean put a couple of notes and words together and call it a song though." Sakura warned.

"Since this is a test we do have to give you three guidelines your song and/or video must contain."

"Ooh! ooh! I have them ready!" Ino excitedly jumped up and down, her flowery aura appearing once more. "One, there must be an element of nostalgia. Two, there must be a fantasy element to it, and three there must be an element of...ME!" She squealed that last part and posed dramatically once again, her flowery aura bursting to a whole new level.

Both Sakura and Tenten smacked their foreheads but said nothing.

"Um...Well then, there you have it.. your guide..lines..." Hinata hesitantly said. She cleared her throat before continuing. "You'll have everything you need in the recording room and remember: We cannot help you in any way. We're counting on you!"

And with that they left the room.

 _'We're counting on you'_

"Hinata Hyuga is..counting on...us!" I said softly, eyes widening as the full impact of what that meant to me hit me. "Levy-chan! To the recording room!!! We cannot let her down!!"

"AYE!!!"

 **~Timeskip~**

"I CANNOT BELIEVE IT TOOK US FIVE FREAKING HOURS TO FIND THE RECORDING ROOM!!"

"I TOLD YOU WE SHOULD'VE GONE LEFT!"

"IT'S NOT JUVIA'S FAULT SHE HAD TO PEE!"

We only had nine hours left to write, record, and film a music video.

"Levy start a timer! We have nine hours to get everything done!"

"Actually we only have eight hours, fifty nine minutes and forty-three seconds..."

"...Lucy! Get a pen and some paper! Juvia what were the guidelines again?"

"Nostalgia, fantasy, and Ino Yamanaka!"

I marched up to the large whiteboard on the wall and wrote down each of those things. We all stepped back and analyzed the words. "Any ideas?"

I sighed. "Maybe somme fresh air will do us some good." I walk over ot the window, but it wouldn't budge. "That's weird..." I murmured and pushed it more. It still didn't move, which is really weird because I'm _wickedly_ strong.

"Let Juvia help you!"

Together I could feel it give way about a centimeter but then it wouldn't budge. "Lucy and Levy! Help us open the window!"

Setting down the timer and pen they stand behind us and push us so that we're all pushing each other in an effort to open this stubborn window. It gives way an entire inch before it becomes stuck again.

"On three we give it a hard push! One... two... THREE!"

Juvia and I brace our hands on the window and give it a sharp push at the exact same time Lucy and Levy push at our backs. At that exact moment, the window loosens and we're nearly sent flying out of the window due to our momentum. Lucy and Levy screech and wrap their arms around our waists so that we don't fall out completely. Normally, I would be terrified because we're about twenty floors up hanging out of a window, but something caught my eye.

 _THAT'S IT!!!_

"I'VE GOT IT!!" We all cry out at the exact same time and run back into the recording room. I run towards the white board and begin listing words, Levy run to her bag and pulls out her phone calling a number on speed dial, Lucy and Juvia are scribbling away on a piece of paper.

 _We've got a music video to write and film._

 **General POV**

Piano music starts the new music video along with the sound of a waterfall, an eagle passes in the sky and the camera follows it. The camera stops following the eagle and circles around the four girls from above before settling beside the girls. All the girls wore similar white sundresses and had their hair tumbling down their shoulders. They were facing away from the camera, looking thoughtfully ahead. The wind was pushing their hair back from their faces making them seem like beautiful angels.

Suddenly the piano music stops and the girls turn and face the camera just as a small kid voice says "You ready?" and is immediately followed by electric guitar playing. Three small baby dragon and a white snow wolf pup appear in front of the girls faces, they prance around them for a moment then run off into the forest. The girls grin and begin to chase after the animals. Juvia voice is heard as they run through the tropical forest. As the run they seem to shrink in size, becoming younger.

Juvia

 _Calla, lily, carnation, daisy_

 _Silently chase away your worries_

Mini Juvia runs awkwardly though the forest, stumbling occasionally, with her arms outstretched trying to catch the blue eyed white wolf.

Erza

 _Chrysanthemum, kalanchoe_

 _Become your shield whenever you fall asleep_

A laughing five year old Erza climbs over a large tree root, not letting the red eyed black dragon out of her sight. She staggers when she jumps down but continues to chase it.

Lucy

 _I cried out_

 _Please don't leave me behind, leave me behind_

Little Lucy runs after her yellow pink-eyed dragon through a meadow full of flowers, her big brown eyes full of delight but also a hint of longing.

Levy

 _So you held me tight_

 _And said I will be just fine, I will be just fine, I will be just fine_

Petite Levy, while chasing after her dragon, stumbles over an upturned tree root and falls over. Getting up on her knees and looking around she sees that she's lost her brown and orange dragon. Tears begin to stream down her face. Suddenly it appears in front of her and gently nuzzles her nose. Levy's eyes immediately light up as the dragon circles around her before continuing to run to its unknown location. Levy immediately gets up and continues to chase after it.

Juvia

 _Petals dance for our valediction_

 _And synchronize to you frozen pulsation_

Juvia's wolf would occasionally brush against a leaf or a flower and small icicles would appear on it.

Erza

 _Take me to where your soul may live in peace_

 _Final destination_

Erza begins to run faster stepping and flipping over roots like a pro.

Levy

 _Touch of your skin sympathetically brushed against the shoulders you used to embrace_

Levy is running and sees a small stream ahead and leaps over it. The camera slows down as she does showing emphasis on her delighted eyes and wild flying hair.

Lucy

 _Sparkling ashes drift along your flames_

 _And softly merge into the sky_

Mini Lucy is climbing a rock and when she jumps off she lands in a bed of flowers which scatters a lot of flower petals, covering the entire screen.

Juvia

 _Lisianthus_

 _Aroma drags me out of where I was_

Juvia arrives at a waterfall but her wolf begins to jump up on rocks so she begins to climb.

Levy

 _Cream rose, stargazer, iris_

 _Construct a map that helps me trace your steps_

Levy soon appears by Juvia, climbing beside her.

Lucy

 _Zipped my mouth_

 _I just keep climbing up keep climbing up_

 _Justify our vows_

 _I know you are right above, you are right above, you are right above_

Lucy appears just as they're reaching the top and the girls, with help of Erza who is already up there, pull themselves up to the very top of the waterfall where their animals are waiting for them, then the animals suddenly dive down the waterfall. The girls run towards the edge of the cliff of the waterfall and a magnificent view of the entire forest is seen. A strong wind blows their hair back as the girls look at the view in awe.

Erza

 _Look now_

 _I'm on the top of your world, top of your world_

 _My darling_ _'_

 _Here I come' I yell and take a leap to hell_

As Erza sings her verse the girls run forward leap off the top of the waterfall. They stay suspended in the air for a moment as children, their hair flying. The camera then spins around them once and they turn into their full grown selves before plummeting down at full speed, grinning and yelling like maniacs. They hit the water as soon as the lyrics commence again.

All

 _Swirling winds sing for our reunion_

The girls swim around like mermaids, their dresses and hair flowing around them making them look like goddesses.

Erza

 _And nine point eight is my acceleration_

The girls notice a faint glow come from somewhere under water.

Levy

 _Take me to where our soul may live in peace_

They turn and see 4 hazy figures forming while swimming towards them

All

 _Our brand new commencement_

The girls watched the figures approach them in disbelief and hope. You could say their expressions were wobbly.

Juvia

 _Touch of your lips compassionately pressed against the skull that you used to cherish_

The figures finish forming and you see they're four boys. One with blond hair that drew near Lucy, another with black hair that approached Erza, one with white hair that swam up to Juvia and another with wild brown hair and a wolfish grin that approached Levy. The girls' faces crumble as the boys wrap their arms around them and press their lips to their foreheads

Lucy

 _Delicate flesh decomposes off my rotten bones_

 _And softly merge into the sky_

The camera shifts away from them and to the sky and you see flower petals that are flying with the wind and a soaring eagle passes.

 **Narrator POV**

Hinata and her team stared at the screen in silence for a long time.

"Th-that was-" Ino stated breathlessly.

"Beyond our expectations..." Hinata murmured.


	9. Part 9

**Lucy POV**

"I can't believe Rogue and the rest of them actually managed to help us with that music video with such a short notice." Erza commented, sprawled tiredly on the floor of the recording room.

"Juvia can't believe Lucy's video editing skills are so on point! Those little dragons looked real!!!"

"I can't believe we actually managed to pull it off with three seconds to spare!"

"I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!"

We all paused and looked at Levy, who had a pile of toast surrounding her as she spread the 'not butter' over it with a fascinated expression. It was then that the doors exploded open.

"YOU!!!!!!!!" Ino came charging at us full speed.

\\(O.O)/ "Eh?!"

"You! _YOU_! You!"

"Why did you sing it like that?"

 **A/N: Hamilton anyone?**

"What Ino is trying to say is that your video was a complete success. Just like I predicted of you four, I'm very proud."

 _'I'm very proud'_

"WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!?!" Sakura yelled.

"WAAAHHH HINATA HYUGA IS PROUD OF JUVIA!!!! JUVIA IS SO HAPPY!!!"

"Why wouldn't she be proud? It already has over half a million views. And it was just uploaded two minutes ago." Tenten pointed out.

"And the best part is that Mavis herself wants to meet you!" Ino screeched at the top of her lungs.

 **...Information Loading...79%...84%...96%...100%**

"WHAT?!"

"THE MAVIS VERMILLION?!

"FOUNDER, OWNER AND HEAD CEO OF MAVIS CORP?!?!?!"

Sakura grinned. "The one and only."

Our jaws dropped to the floor. "No. That's impossible! She so legendary some people actually believe she's a legend!"

"Juvia is unworthy of being in the presence of Mavis-san!"

"I agree, we cannot accept." Erza said.

"That's too bad because she's already here." Tenten pointed out.

EH?! We whirl around and- oh stars above- there she was. THE Mavis Vermillion. In all her shoeless glory, bouncing on her toes and waving at us like a little kid. It was truly amazing to think that a woman that looked like a twelve year old child manage to bring about one of the top corporations in the world. "Hiya! I'm Vermilion, Mavis! But please call me Mavis! Oooh, can I have one of those sandwiches?"

We simply stared at her like she was some kind of rare species of animal as she walked over and ate a piece of toast while staring at us expectantly. Hinata cleared her throat and motioned us to introduce ourselves.

"Oh! Erm...uhhh.." I began unimaginatively. "H-heartfilia, Lucy."

"L-lockser, J-juvia."

"Scarlet, E-erza."

"M-m-mcGarden, Le-levy."

Mavis clapped excitedly, swinging her legs as she sat on the table. "Kya! I'm so excited to work with you four! We have a lot planned out for you!" She ranted, her eyes sparkling. "Now..." She suddenly said very seriously. "On the more important stuff..." We held our breath in anticipation of what she was going to say.

"How many?"

...Eh?

"Uh, Pardon me?" Erza asked, confused.

"I'm not blind! I may look young but I'm not ignorant." Mavis giggled. "I can tell when a woman has given birth. So, how many?"

We were silent for a long moment and I swear you could hear our hearts pounding in our chest. No one, aside from Sting, Cobra, Rogue, and Lyon, knew that we had given birth. I was the first to crack under Mavis's searching gaze.

"One boy." I breathed, squeezing my eyes shut as tears threatened to spill out of my eyes. "Six months, his name is Luke."

It was several moments of heavy breathing before Levy spoke up. "Emma. Also six months."

"Rosemary... six months." Erza spoke quietly, staring at the ground.

"J-juvia also had a boy. S-silver, he is six months as well." Juvia whispered.

Our team whispered our names quietly as stared at us in absolute shock. Yes, four months ago we gave birth to our very own biological children. Romeo was quite excited to have someone to play with that wasn't Plue.

"How many know?"

Juvia squeezed her eyes tightly. "No one." She breathed.

"Not even the fathers?" Ino hesitantly asked. We shook out heads no.

The silence was unbearable as we waited for them to tell us to leave or to judge us. Instead, we found ourselves engulfed in an enormous hug.

"We understand." They all said, even Mavis!

"I-I don't-"

"Blossom. One year old." Sakura interrupted. Our eyes widen in shock.

"Knox. One year old." Ino grinned.

"Taro. One year old." Hinata said with a shy smile.

"Ella. One year old." Tenten said with a small laugh.

"Larcade. Almost two." Mavis said, her eyes sparkling brightly.

 **A/N: I know that's not their actually kids name- aside form Mavis- but my story, my ships and I ship ShikaIno!!! Sorry! No hate for ShikaTema though! I do think it's a cute ship.**

"B-but their fathers-" Erza began, but immediately stopped whens he saw how their eyes darkened sadly.

"You'll come to find that our situation is much like yours." Mavis said quietly, a heavy aura surrounding her for a moment before disappearing as if it never existed and being replaced by her usual flowery aura. "But who needs them! We need to get you kids integrated in the secret babysitters room! You can't be leaving you kids at home with that semi-sober lady all the time!"

"Hey! Cana may be an alcoholic but she's very relia- Wait a minute! How do you know about Cana!!!" I yelled.

Mavis merely giggled. "I have my ways! And also, don't worry about secretly transporting your kids from here to your home because you'll be living right here in MAVIS Corp! The top floor is a series of apartments for our single mother's department! I've already prepared an enormous apartment for all four of you so that you all can continue raising that adorable five year old together!" Mavis whirled around to face us. "And you have no choice to accept because as soon as you turned in that music video you are officially employees of MAVIS Corp and are now bound to our protocol. Got that?"

Our eyes widened and we nodded quickly in understanding. Mavis clapped her hands excitedly as she skipped out of the room, motioning us to follow her. "Hurry up! I sent people to go retrieve all you belongings including you children! They should be in the play room right now! I can't wait to meet Larcade's new best friends!" She paused for a minute. "Oh yeah, surprise! You're moving in today!"

Our eyes widened and we hurried to catch up with her. This was so much information to take in we couldn't even think! It's like she knew and had thought of everything! Mavis lead us to a card activated elevator and once inside she pressed a golden button with the infinity symbol on it. A few moments later we entered a very fancy lobby with high ceilings and a shiny marble floor. Mavis lead us down a hallway, where there were two double doors marked 'Nursery'. And sure enough there he was, bawling his eyes out as a lady he knew was not his mommy held him. She was walking back and forth in front of the doors trying to calm him down. She wasn't being very successful. Neither were her colleges, who were trying to stop Juvia, Levy, and Erza's babies sobs as well.

It was almost as if they sensed us walk in, they stopped crying for a heartbeat to look up. Immediately, they reached out their arms to us and began to sob even louder. In a blink of an eye, we're gently pulling them out of the strangers arms and rocking them in our own. Large fat tears were rolling down their cheeks as we cooed in their ears, reassuring them that mommy was with them.

"Did you miss me baby?" I asked with a loving smile as I rubbed his back. Luke hiccupped into my neck but he was no longer sobbing loudly. I glanced over at the others. Silver's arms were around Juvia's neck, clutching her like she was going to disappear at any moment. Juvia seemed to be holding him just as tightly as she rocked him in her arms. Rosemary and Emma had their faces nuzzled deep into their mothers necks, their tiny breaths still shuddering a bit.

Mavis watched this unfold with watery eyes. "That...was...so cute..." She waved her hands in front of her face rapidly. "I think I'm gonna need a tissue."

I smiled at her. We were very protective of our children, which was one of the reasons why we kept them a secret. We usually tried to keep at least one of us at home to take care of them but when situations- such as this one- came where one of us couldn't stay we asked Cana to babysit for us. She was very reliable when she wasn't drunk. She knew that as long as she fed them, changed them, and didn't carry them they wouldn't cry. Our babies didn't like being held by anyone who wasn't their mother.

One of the stranger's stepped forward. "My apologies mam, We didn't put them in with the other children because they wouldn't stop crying and it was nap time for the other kids."

We nodded in understanding.

"Nap time aye?" Mavis checked her wrist watch. "Don't your kids usually get scared if they wake up from nap time and you're not near-"

She was interrupted by the sound of wailing babies.

Hinata's eyes widen and she hurries past the double doors of the nursery, Tenten, Ino, and Sakura hot on her heels.

A few moments later they emerge, each with hiccuping kid.

"This is Blossom." Sakura was stroking a little girl with dark black hair and eyes to match.

"Meet Taro!" Hinata was rocking an adorable little blue eyed, blonde baby with little whiskers on his chubby face.

"This is my girl, Ella." We were a little confused when we saw Tenten holding a baby that had eyes a lot like Hinata's, but the baby had brown hair that was undeniably just like her mothers.

Ino was stroking a baby that had black hair and dark eyes that- once he'd stopped crying- looked quite bored. "This is my troublesome boy, Knox."

We smiled and turn our children so they could see theirs. Luke, Emma, Rosemary, Taro, Blossom, and Ella merely stare curiously at each other without lifting their heads. Silver and Knox on the other hand watched each other warily and tighten their grip on their mothers. We giggled at their reactions. Perhaps they're a bit more protective of us than we are of them!

"Where's Romeo?" Erza asked after a moment when she didn't spot him anywhere.

"Someone will pick him up from school soon and bring him straight here." Mavis reassured. "In the meantime! You should go check out your new home! Hinata could you lead them to their apartment? I'm going to go check on Larcade."

"Of course! Please follow me." Hinata said with a smile. She lead us out of the nursery and down a long carpeted hallway. She stopped at a door that had a number seven hanging on it.

"This is your apartment!" Hinata said. "We're going to go set our kids down in our own place, we'll meet up with you shortly."

We wave at them a they walk a little further down the hallway before turning back to our own door. I hesitantly reach over and turn the door nob, not certain of what to expect. _'Well,'_ I thought as we stared at the apartment in awe. _'It definitely wasn't this.'_

It was absolutely gorgeous and HUGE. There was an enormous 80 inch flat screen tv mounted up on the wall above a the intricate fireplace that already had a safety fence around it so children couldn't get to close. We could literally see our reflection on the floor, which was pure white marble but there was a designer rug that covered a good portion of the floor. The sofa and couches were all snow white, matching the floor perfectly. There was a white marble staircase that lead upstairs and windows that were at least twenty feet high which allowed the sun to illuminate the room beautifully.

Right in the middle of the couches there was a large fence and inside was a bunch of baby toys, sort of like a play section for our kids where we could supervise them. Juvia and Levy carefully step over the mini-fence and set Emma and Silver down inside. I set Luke down beside them and giggle as he grabs a toy and starts gnawing on it curiously. Silver looks around to make sure his mother was still nearby before focusing his attention a snowflake-shaped teething toy. Erza, after checking that the fence was truly sturdy, set Rosemary inside as well.

"So, what do you think?" Tenten asked, appearing out of nowhere.

"Th-this is-" Juvia began breathlessly, looking all around her. Hinata and the whole team grinned at us.

"And this is just the living room!" Sakura said with a laugh. "Wait till you see your rooms!"

They each grabbed one of us and hauled us upstairs. "Each of you has a their very own room with it's very own bathroom and closet!" Ino babbled as we climbed the stairs. "There's already a crib about five feet away from your bed so you'll always be nearby in case your baby needs you."

"And no need to worry about baby-proofing because that's already been taken care of!" Sakura added while unlatching the baby gate at the top of the stairs.

Sure enough, there was a long hallway with four doors on either side. Grabbing us each by the hand they lead us to separate rooms each labeled by the first letter our names in a unique style that oddly suited us. Giddy with excitement, we hurridly rush into our respective rooms.

I squealed first followed by Juvia and then Levy and finally Erza.

My room was bright pink and white, even the bed! I ran over to the bed and jumped on it, hugging and sniffing the soft sheets. It smells like strawberries!!!! I ran to the closet- which was bigger than our entire house- and nearly died when I saw all the name brand clothes that were clearly not mine. Some still had the price tag on them!

"Everything in here is from now on yours, think of it as a welcome to MC gift!" Hinata chirped from the entrance of my door. I almost didn't hear her in my rush to look at my personal bathroom- which was also pink!

"There's a hot tub!" I shrieked, jumping up and down in excitement.

"The closet is HUGE!" Juvia yelled from her room across from mine.

There's an entire wall of books here!!!!" Levy fangirled as she ran into my room using the door that connected our rooms together.

"THERE IS A STRAWBERRY CAKE COMPARTMENT HIDDEN BEHIND THE WALL IN MY CLOSET!!!!!" Erza yelled louder than any of us, shaking the entire MAVIS Corp building. We sweatdropped at her, clinging to anything we could reach in case the place went down.

"Food and other needs are replenished every week so no need to worry about grocery shopping." Ino said. "And the best part is-" Ino dashed down the hallway past a few other rooms to the very last door and opened it. "Our apartments are connected!!" She squealed excitedly.

"Expect us to come over every morning because I don't think any of us can handle any more of Sakura's 'cooking' any longer." Tenten whispered to Juvia. We giggled as Sakura death glared us.

"Well we'd better check up on our kids! We'll see you tomorrow!" Hinata waved as she and the rest of her team exited through the door that connected our apartments together. We were silent for a long moment, still absorbing everything in. Our silence was interrupted by the sounds of Rosemary's crying. We could tell our children apart just from the sounds of their sobs, laughter, even their sneezes! Erza was flying down the stairs in a matter of seconds. It never ceases to amuse me just how protective we are of our babies.

"Where's the nursery." Erza said, holding Rosemary out in front of her warily. Rosemary was sobbing and reaching for her mother, wanting to be closer to her. "One moment baby, mommy's got to change you first." Erza gently told her. Levy and I dashed around the living room opening various doors.

"Laundry room." Levy called out.

"Office room." I yelled.

"Oooh~ the pantry!" Erza quiped.

"Juvia found it!"

Erza dashed over to the room next to the office room where Juvia was waving from. It was very cute! It was painted baby blue with little clouds painted all around. There were four cribs in each corner of the room and at the far end of the wall there was a cabinet with an assortments of toys for them to play with, even though they were only four months old.

"Romeo's more likely to play with all these toys." Juvia said with a chuckle as she walked over to explore the kitchen.

"Well he is due for a playdate with Wendy." Levy said thoughtfully as we followed her, leaving Erza to tend to Rosemary.

"I can give Sting a ca- PLUE!!!!!!!!" I dashed away from them and sprinted across the kitchen to where a wobbly snowman waddle out from a cabinet. I picked him up and spun him around, hugging him tightly. "Who's a good boy?" I asked him.

"Lu-chan... are you sure Plue is even a dog?" Levy asked sweatdropping.

"Of course he is! Can't you tell?" I held him out towards them so they could see him better. Plue gives them a wobbly smile and waves.

Juvia leans forward to inspect him close range. "Erm... Juvia isn't sure... He tends to appear at random sometimes..."

"He's small!" I defended. "You probably just don't notice him around."

"He walks on two feet." Levy added.

"I know right?! He's so talented!"

"Are just going to ignore the fact," Erza began as she walked in carrying a now clean Rosemary. "That he sort of melts whenever it's too hot? Or that his nose looks a lot like a carrot?"

"He's unique." I said, looking away with a pout. Before they could bombard me with more reasons, Luke gives a little whine from the play fence, indicating that he's about to start crying. I hurriedly place Plue back on the floor and hurry over to him. He must've recognized my footsteps approaching because he turned his head in my direction, big tears almost spilling out of his eyes. I scan him for any injuries as I lift him out but I don't see any.

"What is it Luke?" I look at the time and grin. "Is it nap time? Is that it?"

Luke stared at me like he was about to start bawling at any moment.

"Okay, okay." I carefully manuver around the fence so that I can sit back on one of the couches as I rock Luke to sleep. A few moments later Erza snuggles close to me with Rosemary asleep on her chest. Levy joins us with a yawning Emma in her arms and Juvia isn't far behind with Silver snuggled up in her neck. Eventually, we fell asleep as well, leaning and resting our heads on each other for support.


	10. Part 10

***A few weeks later* (A/N: No they did not sleep for various weeks)**

 **Levy POV**

"Lucy you elbow is digging into my arm." Erza mumbles without opening her eyes, shifting slightly to get more comfortable without disturbing her sleeping baby.

"Levy your hair is in my mouth." Lucy groaned, twisting her head in an attempt to pull it out without having to open her eyes or move her arms.

"Juvia your knee is pressing on my thigh again." I say with a sigh, not wanting to open my eyes.

"Des...olèe..." Juvia mumbles in her sleep, shifting her knee away. It's been a while since we've all been able to get a nice nap in, and with our kids finally asleep and Romeo off at school we took any chance we could get. Back when we were waitresses we could barely make ends meet, we hardly had an opportunity to look for professions that came with our degrees! We majored in various different word languages, but we weren't having much luck finding jobs so waitressing it was.

Until now that is.

I honestly didn't know how far we were going to go with this. I mean, us, famous singers?! It sounds absolutely preposterous! We were the nerds of our school! The dorks! The weird ones! We've never even been in a serious relationship! What will the critics think when they discover our dull background?!

 _'Well, it will be entertaining to watch people's reactions when they discover that the most scandalous thing that happened in our school life was that we were all tied for valedictorian for our class years evey single year. Even in college.'_ I snorted at the thought, accidently waking up a peacefully sleeping Emma. Immediately she grips me tighter and sniffs my shirt. Recognizing my scent she relaxes but stays awake. "M-maaaa..." She softly whines while digging her head into my neck. I smile at her exhaustedly. "Yeah, mama's awake now."

We've been here a few weeks already and by now our babies comfortable enough to talk more, which isn't much anyway since they're only six months. Romeo was absolutely ecstatic when he walked for the first time, running around and opening every single door in the apartment, exploring his new home. At first he was hesitant to sleep in his own room alone, but he eventually grew into it. He still insisted that we all tuck him in at night though.

Hinata and our team had us in what they call 'standby mode'. Basically, we're laying low for a month or two while they get together a schedule and discuss a course of action for us. Basic protocol.

I feel my eyes drooping closed again when Emma pats my face with her chubby hands. "Mama." she says, pouting cutely.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm awake for real this time." I said, nuzzling her cheek. I gently nudge Juvia, who was practically curled against me. She blinks and slowly lifts her head from it's resting place, which was the top of my head, and sits up, jostling Silver enough to wake him up. Juvia immediately begins to rock and coo him as tears well up in his eyes, his breathing is a bit ragged but he doesn't cry since he recognized his mother's touch. I giggled lightly. He's such a momma's boy, it's so cute. I look over to Luke and Rosemary who were also now awake and blinking at us hungrily.

"I swear your kids are so cute it's almost hard to breathe." Ino said while fanning herself with one hand and holding a sleeping Knox with the other.

"Pssh! Like you could talk!" Juvia retorted. "Juvia can barely handle being around Knox and the others without almost passing out from cuteness overload."

"Yeah, yeah, we get it." Sakura said casually, her daughter shakily standing beside her."We make cute babies."

"Damn right we do." Tenten muttered loudly from the kitchen, her daughter peaking at us curiously from behind her leg.

We blushed but still giggled. "Well, what's up?" Erza asked as we got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, setting our kids down in their high chairs. "Is our schedule ready?"

"Actually Hinata was going to-"

"KYAAAAA!!!"

Our eyes widen as we recognize the sound of Hinata's panicked voice. Two seconds later she comes running in with Taro in her arms, Plue shakily chasing after her.

"I-it's alive!!"

"It's a snowman!!"

"Shouldn't it be melting?"

"It's chasing me!!"

We watched for a moment as Hinata ran up and down the kitchen, finally opting to jump onto a chair and stare at us wide eyed for an explanation. We all gave a pointed look to Lucy.

"What? It's our dog plue!"

"..." We face-palmed and sighed.

"He wasn't here the other times we've come over!"

"He sort of just appears."

"He makes no noise."

"Yeah..."

"Does it bite?"

"I don't even think he has teeth."

"It's kinda cute." Tenten said after a moment, letting Ella approach Plue after studying him carefully. Plue smiles and waves, startling Ella enough to make her waddle back over to her mother with an adorably shocked expression on her face. Luke squeals and tries to reach down to Plue, but is too restricted from the high chair.

"You were saying?" Erza said with a chuckle, reaching into one of the counters and pulling our a couple of jars of baby food.

Hinata cleared her throat and hesitantly hopped off the chair. "Y-yeah, anyway I was going to say since you've been cooped in here for a while we were going to offer to babysit your kids if there was something you wanted to do tonight. Our plans are just about finished so we thought it'd be a good idea for you guys to have fun at least once on your own before things get really hectic for you."

We were silent for a few moments.

"I don't know..." I said slowly.

"We promise we'll be very careful with your kids and call you immediately if something is wrong." Sakura said.

"You really have nothing to worry about though," Tenten pointed out. "We are mothers ourselves."

We glanced at each other nervously, we weren't hesitant about their ability with our kids. Heck, I for one fully trusted them with my daughter, what we were hesitant about was that a night of fun is what got me- and the rest of us- pregnant in the first place. (Not that we regret having our kids! I wouldn't change that for anything in the world.)

"Don't feel bad!" Ino encouraged. "It's not like you do this all the time! And it'll probably be a good long while before you can actually get to do something like this again! Take advantage of it! You kids are in the best of care!"

Hinata nodded her head in agreement. "I'll call Mavis and ask if she can bring Larcade over and maybe you can ask that blonde boy if he can bring his little sister to play with Romeo again! It'll be like a playdate while you're gone!"

Erza sighed. They really weren't going to drop it until we said yes.

"Fine. But only for a couple of hours."

"YE- I mean, Great!" Ino amended mid-leap. "Now, let me get you fixed up and ready for you glorious night out!!" She squealed.

 **Timeskip brought to you by the Honda Dealers of the Carolina's! (A/N: Lets see how the guys are doing!)**

 **General POV**

Months had past since they last saw the mysterious girls with the masks. The boys attended various parties but had been unsuccessful at finding them.

"Are y'all ready?!"

The answer was a roar of approval. The DJ switches a switch and the dance floor comes to life.

"Best dancers voted on by the crowd get to dance with the preformers!"

He's met by the squealing of thousands of fangirl's.

"DANZA KUDURO!!" Yells the DJ before music begins to blare out oof the speakers and the curtains are raised. Gray and Natsu come out and begin to sing while showing the audience how to do the danza kuduro.

Natsu and Gray

 _La mano arriba, cintura sola_

 _Da media vuelta, Danza Kuduro_

 _No me canses ahora, que esto solo empieza_

 _Mueve la cabeza, Danza Kuduro_

Jellal came out with Gajeel while saying "Pfft! Lets show em how its really done!" and began to dance while singing.

Gajeel and Jellal

 _La mano arriba, cintura sola_

 _Da media vuelta, Danza Kuduro_

 _No me canses ahora, que esto solo empieza_

 _Mueve la cabeza, Danza Kuduro_

Little did they know that at that exact moment four girls in masks had arrived... with four guys.

Gray

 _Quien puede domar la fuerza del mar_

 _Que se mete por tus venas_

 _Lo caliente del sol que se te metió_

 _Y no te deja quieta nena_

Before the boys they came with could say anything the girls simultaniously rush to the dance floor with tiny squeals. They chuckle like older brothers watching little sisters get excited over a sleepover while heading to the bar.

Natsu

 _Quien puede parar eso que al bailar_

 _Descontrola tus caderas_

 _Y ese fuego que quema por dentro_

 _Y lento te convierte en fiera_

The pink and blue masked girls stood in the middle of the dancing crowd for a moment, listening to the music and feeling the beat, before closing their eyes and letting their body naturally take over just as the preformers began singing the chorus. They found the dance quite fun and couldn't help but smile and laugh as they danced.

Natsu and Gray

 _Con las manos arriba, cintura sola_

 _Da media vuelta y sacude duro_

 _No te quites ahora, que esto solo empieza_

 _Mueve la cabeza y sacude duro_

The orange masked girl watched the crowd as she walked through it and slowly found herself moving to the beat of the drums as the preformer began singing in Portuguese.

Gajeel

 _Balancar que uma loucura_

 _Morena vem o meu lado_

 _Ninguem vai ficar parado_

 _Quero ver, mexa Kuduro_

 _Balancar que una loucura_

 _Morena vem o meu lado_

 _Ninguem vai ficar parado oh_

The red masked girl, with her eyes closed, shook her hips to the music drowning out everything except the music and her movements.

Jellal

 _Oi oi oi, oi oi oi oi_

 _E para quebrar Kuduro, vamos Danza Kuduro_

 _Oi oi oi, oi oi oi oi_

 _Seja morena o loira, vem balancar Kuduro_

 _Oi oi oi_

Together, the orange and red masked girl began to dance the moves of the chorus. They couldn't help but laugh at each other as they messed up the dance at first but caught on really quickly.

Gajeel and Jellal

 _La manos arriba, cintura sola_

 _Da media vuelta, Danza Kuduro_

 _No te canses ahora, que esto solo empieza_

 _Mueve la cabeza, Danza Kuduro_

Jellal could have sworn he saw a flash of something familiar in the crowd, but dissmissed it quickly, not wanting to get his hopes up for nothing. Instead, he watched and waited for some kind of sign of the lucky person who would get to dance with them.

Guy's

 _La manos arriba cintura sola_

 _Da media vuelta Danza Kuduro_

 _No te canses ahora que esto solo empieza_

 _Mueve la cabeza Danza Kuduro_

Somehow, the four best friends managed to dance to each other. Side-by-side they dance together like they were the only ones on the dance floor, giggling and nudging each other like they were dancing at home, raising their hands above their heads and just having fun. The other dancers began to stop and stare and cheer them on.

Gray

 _Balancar que uma loucura_

 _Morena vem o meu lado_

 _Ninguem vai ficar parado_

 _Quero ver mexa Kuduro_

 _Balancar que uma loucura_

 _Morena vem o meu lado_

 _Ninguem vai ficar parado oh_

The guys frown slightly in curiousity when they see a small crowd forming in the middle of the dance floor that blocked their veiw of what was going on.

Natsu

 _Oi oi oi, oi oi oi oi_

 _E para quebrar Kuduro, vamos Danza Kuduro_

 _Oi oi oi, oi oi oi oi_

 _Seja morena o loira, vem balancar Kuduro_

 _Oi oi oi_

Suddenly four bright lights shine down on four dancing masked girls. Their hearts stop.

 _'It's her'_ they think all at once, mesmerized by their movements. Their hair flying as they shook their heads and hips to the beat of the drums. Their laughing faces and delighted eyes beneath the masks. They moved without hesitation and made their way towards them, refusing to loose them again.

Guy's

 _La mano arriba, cintura sola.._

 _Da media vuelta, Danza Kuduro_

 _No te canses ahora, que esto solo empieza_

 _Mueve la cabeza, Danza Kuduro_

The guys approached the girls as the sang the chorus and immediately start dancing with them. The girls were quite surprised to feel hands go in their waists as they dance but the hands felt so nice and just so right they decided to go with it.

Jellal couldn't help but let his hands linger a split second longer than they should on the red masked girl's waist. He didn't know why but he felt really drawn to her. Something about her seemed so familiar.

Gajeel couldn't help but notice how cute the orange masked girl looked. She wasn't the tallest ot the bustiest of girls but everything about her was just so intoxicating. Her hair, her eyes, the way she moved, just everything. Gajeel, at that moment, couldn't help but feel a small bit of possession towards the girl.

Natsu was entranced by the goddess in front of him. As much as he searched he could not find a single flaw on the pink masked girl. Her long wavy brown hair would move as they danced together, landing perfectly, as if by will, on her shoulders. The delight in her green eyes took his breath away.

Gray felt an unfamiliar rush course through him them moment he touched the blue masked girl. Her straight soft purple hair brushed against his arms as he unexpectedly spun her, sending a tingling sensation to course through his body starting at his arms and spreading all over. Heat rushed to his cheeks when the sound of her laughter reached his ears from the unexpected spin. It felt like all the holes in his chest were being filled up with something good when he was with her. Even if he didn't know who she was.

The girls were shocked to find out that they were more in sync with these strangers than with their brothers when it came to dancing. None of the pairs wanted the song to end.

Guy's

 _La mano arriba, cintura sola_

 _Da media vuelta, Danza Kuduro_

 _No te canses ahora, que esto solo empieza_

 _Mueve la cabeza, Danza Kuduro_

The pairs close their eyes as the song neared the ending. Jellal spun his partner once and pulled her back to him so that her back gently smashed into his chest. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and lowered his head down near her's as she raised her face up to his so that his nose was touching the top her her nose and his mouth lightly brushed against her cheek.

The girl in the orange mask tripped a bit causing her to stumble. Gajeel instinctively stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling and the girl instinctively placed her hands on his chest. Their faces were millimeters apart, but to the audience it looked like he was dipping her and leaning in for a kiss. Gajeel couldn't help but notice how adorable she looked, she had her eyes squeezed tight as if expecting to land on the cold hard floor.

Natsu spun his partner and then tugged her close so that her chest was pressed on his and one of her arms went around his shoulder to keep her balance. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other landed on the back of her thigh, pulling it up a bit. Their noses were touching and their lips were a hairlength away from meeting.

As the song neared its final seconds, Gray, not exactly sure of what he was doing, pulled his partner to him, in response she leaned back a bit from the speed in which he pulled her with, and breathing heavily he rested his forehead on hers. They looked like they were posing for the cover of an album.

Cheers and murmurs went through the crowd as paparazzi cameras flashed from all angles. The pairs slowly began to open their eyes, and noticing not only their close proximity but also their intimate positions they blush madly, but don't move.

Well, more like can't move for the girls, the guys didn't exactly relax their grips on them. Immediately, all the pairs lost themselves in each other's eyes. The girls couldn't help but internally panic a bit from excitement and fear when they noticed the already small distance between them was slowly becoming even smaller.

Suddenly, a loud and sharp whistle cut through the air, startling the girls. They turn their heads and see the four good-looking boys they had arrived with motioning wildly for the girls to go. The girls eyes widen as they realize they lost track of time.

Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, and Jellal felt growls of possession rising in the back of their throats at the sight of the four unknown males. Before they could tighten their grip on the girls, they were out of their arms and already halfway across the dance stage, towards the exit that lead to the roof.

They panic and chase after the girls, not wanting to loose them again, but the other four guys block their way.

"Hey what do you think you're- "

The blonde boy was cut short by Natsu's fist. Similar situations happened for the other three. They raced to the exit leading to the roof and saw that the girls were running up the stairs.

"STOP WAIT!!!" called out Gajeel.

The girls eyes widen and they begin to sprint up the stairs faster.

"Damnit!" Natsu yells as they begin to race after them, taking the steps two at a time. Those girls could move!

They burst through the roof door just as a flash of blue jumped into a helicopter as it takes off.

"Fuck! We lost them again!" Jellal yells as he punches the door with his fist, leaving a smoking dent in it.

Gray walks forward, noticing something on the ground. It was four masks and wigs. A black wig, brown wig, a green wig and a purple wig. There were also four contact cases but they didn't need to check them for they already knew what was in them.

Cursing loudly Gray throws the wig down in anger and frustration.

Back to square zero.


	11. Part 11

**Juvia POV**

"We already told you it's okay."

"B-but this was your last chance to have peaceful fun before you dive into the world of celebrities!!" Ino cried the next morning while blowing her nose dramatically. Her son, already accustomed to her extra-ness, napped peacefully on her chest.

So, as it turns out, Silver got a slight fever two hours into our departure and our fun night out was, inevitability, cut short.

The team was unconsolable, especially Ino. It was quite entertaining.

Hinata also had a troubled pout, patting her hiccuping son's back as she paced up-and-down the luscious living room. "We were really hoping it would be a good night for you..." She said softly in disappointment.

"Please," Erza said as she placed Rosemary in the play fence with Emma and Luke. "With all the parties we'll attend as celebrities I think the best thing would've be to relax and enjoy solidarity."

"Preach." Levy said without looking up from her book.

"By the way," Lucy asked with a frown. "Where's Sakura and Tenten?"

Ino grimaced and rubbed her eyes tiredly. "Blossom and Ella have been having tantrums and they're trying to figure out how to calm them.

"They tried stuffed animals," Hinata said while counting on her fingers.

"Peekaboo,"

"Funny faces,"

"Even dancing!"

"So far, nothing has worked. They haven't gotten a good night's rest in days." Hinata finished with a sigh. "It's made planning so much more difficult."

Lucy tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Have they tried singing?"

Ino barked out a laugh. "They want to calm them down, not scar them for life."

"I HEARD THAT INO-PIG." Sakura yelled from the apartment next door. Ino merely grinned wickedly, but you could see in her eyes that she was secretly worried for her.

"Well, whenever our kids get tantrums we sing them a song about cats." Levy chirped. "We could try i-"

Tenten and Sakura ran in and threw themselves at our feet, looking up at us with pleading eyes. "Do it. Please. We're desperate."

We giggled and sweatdropped at their crying expressions. They sat on the couch with their crying girls on their lap.

"Alright, but listen carefully Blossom-chan and Ella-chan! We're going to teach you how to meow!" Lucy said with a wink as she pressed a button on her phone and music started to play.

 **General POV**

Lucy

 _women yì qi xué māo jiào_

 _yì qi miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo_

 _zài ni miàn qián sā gè jiāo_

 _āi yōu miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo_

 _wode xīn zàng pēng pēng tiào_

 _mí liàn shàng ni de huài xiào_

 _ni bù shuō ài wo wo jiù miāo miāo miāo_

Immediately when Lucy started to sing both Blossom and Ella both stopped wailing and stared wide eyed as Lucy did cute little cat gestures while singing.

Levy

 _Měi tiān dōu tān liàn zhe ni de hao_

 _zhēn xī zài yì qi de měi fēn měi miao_

 _ni duì wo duō zhòng yào_

 _wo xiang ni bi wo gèng zhī dào_

 _ni jiù shì wo de nu zhi jiao_

Levy clapped her hands lightly to the beat of the song while swaying from side to side as she sang, smiling brightly. Emma giggled and squealed when she saw her mommy singing her favorite song.

Juvia

 _you shí hou wo lan de xiàng zhī māo_

 _pí qi bù hao shí yòu zhāng yá wu zhao_

 _ni zong shì wēn róu de_

 _néng ba wo de xīn róng huà diào_

 _wo xiang yào dāng ni de xiao māo māo_ _Miao!_

Juvia stood beside Levy and Lucy, clapping along with them, bouncing slightly on her toes. Storm stared delightedly at his mum, his fever had gone down over night but he still wore a cooling patch on his forehead just in case. Ella and Blossoms mouths twitched upward a bit when Juvia winked and meowed at them at the end of her verse.

Erza

 _women yì qi xué māo jiào_

 _yì qi miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo_

 _zài ni miàn qián sā gè jiāo_

 _āi yōu miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo_

 _wode xīn zàng pēng pēng tiào_

 _mí liàn shàng ni de huài xiào_

 _ni bù shuō ài wo wo jiù miāo miāo miāo_

Together as Erza sang the chorus they did the cat hand gestures at the same time, turning left and right to the beat of the song. Their team couldn't help but smile. It was working.

Levy

 _women yì qi xué māo jiào_

 _yì qi miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo_

 _wo yào chuān ni de wài tào_

 _wén ni shēn shang de wèi dao_

 _xiang yào biàn chéng ni de māo_

 _lài zài ni huái li shuì zháo_

 _měi tiān dōu tān liàn zhe ni de hao_

When Levy sang the final verse of the chorus they posed for a moment in a cat position while winking at the kids, they assumed it was over, but the music kept going. They unexpectedly turned around and were fiddling with something and talking in hushed whispers.

Curious, Ella and Blossom leaned closer to try to see what they where doing. Lucy then turned around when her lyrics started and Ella gasped in delight. She had a cute little nose and cat whiskers drawn on her face!

Lucy

 _You shí hou wo lan de xiàng zhī māo_

 _pí qi bù hao shí yòu zhāng yá wu zhao_

 _ni zong shì wēn róu de_

 _néng ba wo de xīn róng huà diào_

 _wo xiang yào dāng ni de xiao māo māo_

Girls

 _Miao!_

Suddenly, all the girls spun around and placed cute little cat ears on their heads as they say the end of the song. Blossom and Ella began to clap somewhat along to the song, even Taro and Knox seemed to enjoy it!

Juvia

 _women yì qi xué māo jiào_

 _yì qi miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo_

 _zài ni miàn qián sā gè jiāo_

 _āi yōu miāo miāo miāo miāo miāo_

 _wode xīn zàng pēng pēng tiào_

 _mí liàn shàng ni de huài xiào_

 _ni bù shuō ài wo wo jiù miāo miāo miāo_

 **Juvia POV**

I couldn't help but smile as Tenten and Sakura snored loudly on our couch, their babies making cat noises and playing peacefully with the other kids inside the play fence. That song was the emergency song, used only when our top arsenal- aka Plue- failed to calm our own babies tantrums.

"Well, Juvia reckons they'll be asleep for at least an hour or two." I said with a chuckle as I washed the cat whiskers off my face. "Would this be a good time to go over the schedule?"

Hinata nodded her head in agreement while taking out a tablet. "Ever since your auditions and your music video, which are both still in the top 100 most viewed videos by the way, you've been requested at countless events and shows."

Ino smirked. "You even have yourself a small group of fans!"

Our eyebrows shot up in surprise. _'Fans? Already??'_

"So, what's our first event or show?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Actually," Ino began with a sly smile. "You won't be doing any normal events or show's."

We furrowed our eyebrows in confusion.

"Mavis has something else planned for you. Something that has never been done ever in all of MAVIS Corp. history."

Our eyes widened and we leaned in with curiosity.

"You four, will be the first group sponsored by MAVIS Corp. to be featured intheveryfirstcorpratecollaborationkyaisn'tthatexciting?!" Ino said that last part in a big rush and began to fangirl while fanning to herself.

"...We what?"

Hinata smiled and clarified. "You're going to be the first group ever to collaborate with another group that's not sponsored or represented by MAVIS Corp."

"Really?!" Erza cried out, her eyes sparkling.

"With who?!"

"Is it Sabertooth?!"

"You guys! That means we might work with Lyon-sama, Cobra, Sting, and Rogue!" I realized suddenly. We squealed and giggled.

Hinata grinned at our reactions, using hand motions to try and calm us down. "W-well, we don't exactly know who the other corporation is yet. It will be announced at any time, so we have to be prepared!"

"I know!" Whined a voice from the entrance of the apartment. "I'm so excited the wait is killing me!" A few moments later a sparkly eyed Mavis appeared holding her son Larcade.

"If not Sabertooth then I hope it's Lamina Scale or Mermaid Heel!" She continued rambling. "They have some great people you can work well with!"

Hinata nodded in agreement. "Well, we'd better get started!"

"With what?" I asked.

"To get you in your best shape possible of course!" Ino exclaimed. "MAVIS Corp has a reputation to uphold! We need to you in shape vocaly, physically and mentally!"

Mavis jumped on a chair and triumphantly pointed towards the door. "Onward! To the recording studio!"

"B-but Rosemary and the oth-"

"We'll drop them off at the daycare on our way there!" Mavis said while hopping off the chair and moving to wake up Sakura and Tenten. "Now march!"

"H-hai!" We quickly grabbed our respective kids and lined up in a single file line to follow her to the daycare.

We weren't too worried about leaving our babies with Kiana and Lisanna, they had visited us a lot over the past month so the babies could meet their new babysitters and become accustomed to be watched by them while we worked. It took some time, but they finally managed to be comfortable enough around them that didn't start sobbing the moment we disappeared. What reassured us more though, is that Mavis also employed Cana to babysit our kids. Rumor has it that she also got her a part-time job as a MAVIS model too.

 _"We're a family,"_ She told us when we tried to thank her. _"We have to look out for each other."_

"Alright," Sakura said with a yawn. "We'll start with a voice warm-up before we get into the good stuff."

"After this we'll move on to some yoga and basic choreography." Tenten said whilst rubbing her eyes.

"It may seem boring now but it'll gradually get more difficult and challenging." Ino said while ushering us into the sound proof booth. We nodded determinedly and began to put on the studio headphones.

"Whenever you find yourselves hating us just remember," Hinata said before closing the door. "We're doing this for your own good."

We looked at each other with affronted expressions. _'We could never hate any of them!'_

 **Four Months Later**

 **Levy POV**

We awoke to Tenten's authoritative but sleepy voice.

"Up and at 'em sleeping beauties. We have a very ...busy day today." Tenten's yawned mid-sentence while stumbling past our beds.

"When don't we have a busy day... " I complained while peeking out from underneath my sheets.

Stumbling out of bed and over to the windows, Sakura tugs open the curtains, allowing for the sunlight to spill inside our enormous suite. Hissing at the sudden intrusion of light I pull my comforter over my head.

We're currently sharing an enormous luxury room in a private five star hotel on the other side of town. The past month we've been mainly focusing on our publicity around Fiore and building it up. That didn't mean they weren't working us to the brim.

"I'll be honest," I mumbled. "Celebrity life isn't all it's cut out to be." To my left Juvia chuckled. "Tell me about it."

"Apparently we have guests waiting for us" Ino announced.

"Guests???" Erza curiously asked.

"Mavis called me and said that we had guests." Hinata said while stretching.

Juvia groaned. "It's so early in the morning Juvia can't even process what guest means."

"Hey, at least we didn't wake you up at five am again." Ino yawned.

Erza groaned. "Don't remind me of that. I still feel sore from that day."

"If I recall correctly, I think she also said something about eating breakfast before we go or something to do with breakfast..." Tenten lazily mentioned. "She sounded kind of... I don't know... different. Like, not her usual cheery self. Then again, I'm so sleep fogged that I can barely understand myself."

Groaning, and still half asleep, I reluctantly drag myself out of bed and move to go help Hinata coax Lucy out of bed, Erza was already up but she was stumbling towards the door like a drunk monkey. As responsible as Erza is she is not, by any means, an early bird. None of us are.

"Let's just make it to the breakfast bar and then we can come back up and change out of our sleepwear and we'll go meet those supposed guests." Sakura muttered, flopping back to bed despite what she said.

Hinata motions us forward. "We'll meet you up at the cafeteria."

We waddle out the door and blindly search for the elevator. Once we find it Juvia presses the button beside the door and we wait, leaning on each other sleepily. We grew frustrated when the door didn't immediately.

"Who is using the elevator this early in the morning?!" Juvia complains as she presses the button again multiple times. Suddenly the door shot open and revealed a couple of guys about our age- possibly a year younger- open the door with a sharp "What?!"

Blinking we stare at each other in shock before we come to our senses and realize that this was not the elevator. Bowing, we frantically try to apologize to them.

"Oh my gosh its her!"

"Titania in the flesh!"

"My sister's going to be so jealous when I tell her I met The Juvia Lockser!"

"I can't believe I'm standing in front of Levy freakin' McGarden!!"

We can't help but grin at their enthusiasm. Stepping forward I say "Why tell them when you can show them?"

Erza, Juvia, Lucy, and I giggle at their awestruck faces.

"Are you serious?!" they yelled unanimously while scrambling in search of their phones. In response, Erza, Juvia, Lucy, and I walked over to them and stood close beside them to take the picture. I had to motion for the green haired boy who fanboyed over me to come down to my level a bit so we could take the picture. **(A/N: No, it's not Freed)**

"Say cheese!" we say at the same time giggling and right before they click for the camera to take the picture, we turn our heads and press a friendly kiss to their cheeks.

We laughed at their bright red flushed faces of shock. They stay standing motionless for a couple of seconds before passing out completely on the floor.

"Oh, not again!!" Lucy cries while checking if they were alive or not.

"Juvia thinks we should stop doing that, sooner or later someone is going to die of fangirl or boy overload."

I nodded in agreement while giggling at the boys dreamy faces. We carefully step over them and locate the real elevator and make our way down to the first floor.

Stretching and rubbing the little leftover sleep from our eyes we finally step into the private cafeteria.

"This place is so big I forget which way is the breakfast bar i-"

"Wah!"

"Hey!"

"Whoa!"

Everyone nearly slams into my back as I abruptly stopped talking.

"What gives Levy-chan?" Juvia asked from way back.

Lucy, who was right behind me, frowned when she realized that I was frozen. She followed my line of sight... and paled.

Up ahead was none other than Gajeel _freaking_ Redfox, sitting at a table no more than a few yards away... And he wasn't alone. There they were, seated at a large table as waiting for someone to show up. They were dressed nicely- especially Gajeel in his black polo shirt and jeans. I tired to think of an escape plan, but it was useless. He'd seen me from the moment I had stepped out of the elevator, and he probably hadn't taken his eyes of me since. He was staring at me open-mouthed like he had never seen me before or was looking at a ghost. In fact, they were all staring at us like that.

Natsu Dragneel.

Jellal Fernandez.

And Gray Fullbuster.

I confess readers, I had many fantasies of encountering them again... but not like this!!!! With our messy bed hair and pajamas which, for me, was only a Marvel t-shirt that reached my mid thighs and childish striped knee socks. _'Wah! And I was stretching a few moments ago in this!!!'_ I desperately wanted to curl up into a ball and die, but i seemed unable to move any part of my body. My heart was pounding in my ears and I could practically feel the tension and discomfort of the others as well. I mean, Erza was only wearing short running shorts and tight tank top, Lucy, like me, was only in knee socks and an oversized t-shirt- that she probably stole from Sting now that I think about it- and Juvia, who was the most decently dressed in black baggy boy pants and a cute small blue crop top.

It felt like all the air had been suck out of the room and my throat suddenly felt really dry. Gajeel looked like he was going to say something when-

"Oh Goodie! You've already met!"

We whipped our heads in the direction of the voice so fast I swear our necks nearly cracked. It was Mavis accompanied by none other than Zeref, CEO of ZEREF Inc. Our eyes widened in shock. It was a fact known around the world that MAVIS Corp. and ZEREF Inc. were the biggest rival corporations in the celebrity industry. And yet, they were walking out of the elevator- skipping would be a better word for Mavis- as if they were lifelong friends.

Bouncing on her heels, she said. "Ladies meet Jellal Fernandez, Gajeel Redfox, Natsu Dragneel, and Gray Fullbuster. Gentlemen, meet the girls Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden, Lucy Heartfilia and Juvia Lockser."

From the corner of my eye I see Erza straighten, masking any emotion from her face. She nods once, a quick short nod that was no nonsense and all business. Following her suit we square our shoulders and devoid any emotion from our faces even though my mind was screaming _'Why the hell is he here?! What the hell is going on?!'_

Mavis excitedly motions for us to take a seat at the large table. Gulping, I quickly take seat in front of Gray and ignore the iron hard stares of a certain black haired boy. In the past, I would've been worried of Juvia marking me as one of her silly 'love rivals' but from the corner of my eye I saw her take a seat in front of Natsu, not so much as sparing Gray a glance who in contrast, I noticed, seem to be watching her intensely, as if he couldn't take his eyes off her.

(A/N: KKKKKKKKKKKKKKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA GGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUUUVVVVVVVVVVVVVVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAA)

 **Lucy POV**

I can feel Natsu staring at me as if he was trying to burn me with the look he was giving me, but I act like I don't notice and immediately take the seat in front of Jellal, who not once had moved his eyes away from Erza. (Who had taken a seat in front of Gajeel two chairs away.)

(A/N: You guys, Fujin literally grabbed a random piece of paper and made a seating chart of where each girl would sit XDXD)

I fold my hands in front of me and lean forward on the table, trying to look professional, unconsciously pushing my large breasts up in the process. I didn't have to turn around to know that Juvia, Levy, and Erza had taken up the same pose, watching Mavis expectantly. I hear some weird strangled choking sound but quick dismiss it. It was probably just a chair or something.

Mavis took her dear sweet time, looking at each of us one by one. The tension in the room grew thicker every millisecond of silence. Finally, she spoke.

"There's no point in extending this so I might as well say it." she takes a deep breath and says, "This is the group selected to collaborate with MAVIS Corp. They were the winning act in the GMG's for the ZEREF Inc. manager."

 _"This is the group selected to collaborate with MAVIS Corp."_

 _"...Group selected to collaborate..."_

 _"...Group selected..."_

 **Processing...88%...93%...99%...**

My eyes widened as my throat constricts from shock and I struggle to form words. _'This is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening! I think I'd rather take my chances with Ichiya!'_

Mavis tosses a small stack of paper onto the table, I immediately grab it and skim over it.

Concerts

Music videos

Tours

Etc.

Swallowing down my dread and shock, I hand the files down to Levy, who shakily pulled out red reading glasses and skimmed over the text with more precision. It was then that our team burst out of the elevator. (Poor thing is being overused today.) Throwing themselves down and bowing at Mavis's feet.

"WAHH WE'RE SORRY MAVIS!!! WE DIDN'T KNOW THE MEETING WAS RIGHT THIS MINUTE!!!"

"I love that show." Levy whispered to me without taking her eyes off the files. I chuckled despite the dire situation we were in.

"No need to worry! I've only done basic introductions." Mavis said with a giggle, skipping around the table. "Please introduction yourselves!"

"Haruno, Sakura." Sakura flashed a friendly smile.

"Yamanaka, Ino." Ino flashed a smile and her flowery background appeared.

"Hyuga, Hinata." Hinata bowed respectively.

"Tenten." Tenten gave a curt nod.

"We look forward to working with you." They said unanimously. The whole thing was very professional and even a little cute. Mavis applauded with a bright smile.

"Aw man! This place doesn't serve ramen for breakfast! I'm starvin!"

"Hn. Shut up, Dobe."

"You guys are such a drag."

"Quick, we mustn't tarry everyone is probably already seated and-"

Now, I'm no professional mood reader, but given by the way Hinata's while body went rigid, Sakura's cheerful face turned to one of dread, Ino's somewhat flirty smile faded along with her flowery background, and Tenten's cool, calm, and collected demeanor slipped, I could tell that we were in the shit now and there was no one here to shovel it.


	12. Part 12

**Before:**

 _"Please introduce yourselves!"_

 _"Haruno, Sakura." Sakura flashed a friendly smile._

 _"Yamanaka, Ino." Ino flashed a smile and her flowery background appeared._

 _"Hyuga, Hinata." Hinata bowed respectively._

 _"Tenten." Tenten gave a curt nod._

 _"We look forward to working with you." They said unanimously. The whole thing was very professional and even a little cute. Mavis applauded with a bright smile._

 _"Aw man! This place doesn't serve ramen for breakfast! I'm starvin!"_

 _"Hn. Shut up, Dobe."_

 _"You guys are such a drag."_

 _"Quick, we mustn't tarry everyone is probably already seated and-"_

 _Now, I'm no professional mood reader, but given by the way Hinata's while body went rigid, Sakura's cheerful face turned to one of dread, Ino's somewhat flirty smile faded along with her flowery background, and Tenten's cool, calm, and collected demeanor slipped, I could tell that we were in the shit now and there was no one here to shovel it."_

 **Present Time:**

 **Sakura POV**

Shit

 **Tenten POV**

Shit

 **Ino POV**

Shit

 **Hinata POV**

 _Fuck_.

 **General POV**

 _'She hasn't changed a bit.'_ Neji thought as he stared at Tenten. She was about the same height since the last time he saw her, which felt like a lifetime ago. She still had those two buns he secretly found adorable, sharp chocolate brown eyes that currently looked like a scared doe caught in headlights. There was something different about her that he couldn't quite put his fonger on though.

Shikamaru's cool, laid back demeanour for once was gone and replaced by a look of utter shock. Ino, his childhood friend who he had not seen in forever, was standing right before him...hyperventilating and his heart was uncharacteristically beating at twice its normal speed. Ino tried to steady her breathing, but her panic was making it hard.

Hinata was unsurprised when Naruto looked at Sakura first, she was his childhood friend and first crush after all. She was actually relieved that he hadn't seen her yet. That didn't mean it hurt anyless. But of course, she spoke too soon. Naruto's line of sight suddenly shifted slightly to the right, right were Hinata was.

They say old habits die hard, so you won't be surprised to hear that Hinata freaked out a little, her face went beet red, and she refused to make eye contact with him. Meanwhile, Nartuto seemed to have trouble processing all of of this and his vision seemed to have locked on to one thing and one thing only.

"Sakura..." Sasuke breathed her name quietly in disbelief when he saw her. Sakura desperately tried to calm her shaking hands and her pounding heart but to no avail. _'No! Do NOT fall for it again Sakura!'_ Sakura grit her teeth and set her eyes. Luckily, the rest of the team reached the same resolve, choosing instead to stare at Mavis with slightly panicked expressions.

Studying her carefully they realized that Mavis also had the same expression hidden beneath her childish demeanour. Frowning, Ino quickly looked from Zeref to Mavis with a questioning look. Mavis bit her lip and blinked once. Ino gave out a tiny gasp and the rest of the teams jaws dropped. _'Larcades father is **CEO Zeref?!'**_

 **Erza POV**

What.

The.

Hell.

Is.

Happening.

First, Jellal appears- **DNWISDIHSVOWUVISHOWUVOSUVOWUHOEHCPDIH*;!"!,"!",(Г'Г¥{ still processing that-** and then four more guys appear and suddenly our team looks like they're considering jumping out of the window and making a run for it. And do I even need to point out how tense Mavis is?!?!?

I take a deep calming breath and gather my thoughts- WHICH IS KIND OF HARD TO DO WITH YOUR CONSTANT STARING JELLAL.

Zeref cut off the silence by clearing his throat. "This is my best team." He nods at them.

"Uzumaki, Naruto." He points to the blond one who won't stop staring at our precious manager.

"Uchiha, Sasuke." He motions at the guy who has the whole tall, dark and handsome thing going on.

"Nara, Shikamaru." He pointed to what looked like a much older version of Knox.

"And Hyuga, Neji."

Excuse me, what? _Hyuga_? Ooh Hinata you are going to be answering me some questions later. You and the rest of the team. Needless to say, the only person who didn't seem to notice- or not care- about the weird tension was CEO Zeref. Luckily, we were saved by four strangers bursting out of the elevators followed by a large, white dog.

"HINATA-"

"SAKURA-"

"TENTEN-"

"INOOO!!!!!"

All four boys were met with a swift kick or punch to the face.

"OW-"

"Strong as always huh, Sakura?"

"YOOOUUUUTHHH"

"WHAT THE HELL-"

Sakura and the rest of them blink before recognizing who they were.

"K-Kiba-kun?"

"Sai!?"

"Lee!?"

"Gaara?!?"

A/N: I literally could not think of anyone besides Choji XDXD

They stood there for a moment, utterly confused and disoriented. Suddenly, their faces lit up and each on of them ran to hug the strangers.

"I CAN'T BELEIVE ITS YOU!" Hinata screamed as Kiba swung her around in a bear hug. Sakura merely squealed as Sai lifted her clean off her feet from the momentum of the hug. Even Tenten was smiling brightly when she hugged Lee. Of course he ruined it when he lifted her over his head and screamed "Youth" at the top of his lungs. Ino was hugging Gaara while trying to fan and blink away her oncoming tears.

The big white dog barked once loudly, looking very happy.

"We haven't seen you guys since we graduated from college!!"

"Where have you been?!"

"Lee put me down already." Tenten deadpaned, looking bored.

"Erza-" Juvia began to whisper.

"Don't ask, I have no idea." I inturrupted while watching this all unfold. Glancing to my left I see that Naruto and the rest of his team had hand their fists clenched and their jaws set as they watched our team laugh and chat with those guys like we weren't here.

 _'Ooh, these four have a lot of explaining to do.'_ I though with a creepy smile forming.

"-and there was this group of guys looking for this exact hotel on the other side of town!" Kiba said with a laugh.

"Oh yes! They were full of youth just like us!"

"Isn't that them over there?" Gaara said, squinting while pointing at the door near the attendant's desk. A moment later the doors burst open.

"AHA! I TOLD YOU IT WAS HERE!"

"WELL MY BAD I READ MAIN STREET WRONG!!"

"HURRY UP WE NEED TO FIND THEM!"

"KYAAA A DOGGY!!!"

"Lyon! What are you doing here?!" Gray barked, sounding very annoyed.

Lyon stops fanboying over the dog and looks upwith distaste at Gray. "Funny, I should be asking you the same question, but if you must know I'm here to visit my precious- JUVIA-CHAN!!"

Juvia, who along with the others, had been too preoccupied with Akamaru, looked up when she heard a familiar voice.

"Lyon-sama?!"

"Rogue?!"

"Sting?!"

"Cobra!"

"That's my name!" Sting grinned.

"Don't wear it out!" Rogue finished.

We shrieked and hugged them- except in Juvia's case, Lyon shrieked and hugged her. We were all trying to talk over each other and ask each other questions.

"You got a hair cut?!"

"Have you gotten shorter Levy?"

"Er.. za... Air..."

Lyon was sobbing too hysterically to understand what he was saying. Suddenly out of nowhere Lyon freezes and straightens.

"I ALMOST FORGOT! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME! WE NEED YOU!" He exclaimed, while grabbing Juvias hand and begining to run out of the door.

"OH YEAH!" Sting yelled while following right behind him, dragging Lucy with him.

I frown and turn to Rogue. "What's goin o-"

My sentence is cut off by Rogue grabbing my wrist and spinting. "We'll explain on the way!"

From the corner of my eye I see Cobra running as well with a shrieking Levy on his shoulder. I struggled to keep up in my bunny slippers so Rogue just adopted Cobra's idea and threw me over his shoulders. Given by Lucy's and Juvia's shrieks of surprise I assume Sting and Lyon did the same.

"HEY-"

"WHAT THE-"

"LYON YOU BASTARD-"

"LUCY!"

To my utter shock I see all of our former loves spring to their feet and sprint after us, and to my shock they were slowly gaining. Panic rising in me, I tell Rogue to pick up the pace. Many bystanders stared and pointed, but they just continued running, dodging people and poles. They ran about six blocks before they burst into a wide building where there was a countdown going on with an audience.

"FIVE!"

They sprinted up a flight of stairs.

"FOUR!"

Pushed past two double doors

"THREE!"

Ran down a carpeted hallway full of doors on either side of the wall.

"TWO!"

I noticed a red blibking sign that read "LIVE" and frowned in confusion.

"ON-"

"WE MADE IT!!!" They cried out while bursting onto a stage. We tried to look over their shoulders at where they had taken us but the had a tight grip on us.

"That was close!" My eyes widen as I recognize that adorable high pitched voice. "Let's see who you brought us!"

They finally set us down and we stare in awe at the one and only, Mirajane Strauss famous model.

"Oh, my!" She came over and smiled excitedly. "You weren't lying!!! You really know Erza Scarlet, Levy McGarden, Juvia Lockster, and Lucy Heartfilia!"

The crowd cheer and we just stood there, on live TV, in our pajamas.

 _'I'm going to kill them'_ I thought as I masked it with a smile. Mira led all of us to a large couch and pulled out a few cards.

"You see," she told us. "There was a rumor that you were high school buddies and I challenged them to prove it by bringing you four here!" She said with a bright smile. "Hope they didn't inturrupt anything!"

 _'Oh no, nothing at all. Just a collaboration meeting with our old heart breakers.'_

"Oh no," Lucy said with a nervous smile. "We just wish they had texted us or something. Instead they dragged us here, still in our pajamas and slippers!"

Mirajane giggled heartily and looked at the camera mischievously. "So, tell me! Any secrets about these four?"

We pondered it for a moment.

"Lyon-sama sleeps with a teddy bear."

"JUVIA-CHAN YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T TELL-"

"Sting cried in the movie Toy story 3"

"I DID NOT-"

"Cobra's favorite book is Little Women."

"LEVY I TOLD YOU NOT TO-"

"Rogue had an emo/rock phase." I said with a dark smirk.

Mira went quiet and stared at Rogue, who looked like he was frozen in his seat in shock and fear. He clearly hadn't expected me to bring that phase back up.

"J-JUVIA HAD AN EMO/ROCK PHASE TOO!" He sputtered and Juvia covered her face in embarrassment with a groan. "Do not remind Juvia." She mumbled.

"Oh-ho, theres no way I'm letting an opportunity like this pass!" Mira said with a clap. "Show us!"

A wall parted and showed two mics ready for use. Rogue and Juvia shivered and looked at Mira in fear. Mira just smiled innocently. Rogue nervously glanced at Juvia. "Well, we needed a tie breaker anyway..."

Juvia sighed into her hands before reluctantly rising from her seat anf following Rogue to the mics as I explained to Mira what they meant.

"They used to have their own sort of concert battles against each other and we would judge who won."

Levy giggled. "They ended when they grew out of the phase and it was never decided who was better."

"It was obviously me." Rogue said with an eyeroll. Juvia cocked her eyebrow defiantly, in a challenging manner. "Juvia doesn't agree."

Rogue grinned in acceptance of the challenge before his face went serious. He nodded once at the director and the music began to play.

 **General POV**

Juvia

 _Running over the nightmares of the night_

 _A new Evil Force is into me_

Rogue

 _Destroy is what you teach me_

 _And kill is what I'm gonna do,_

Rogue and Juvia

 _Master!_

Juvia had to admit, Rogue was starting out strong. Not that she'd ever admit it though! Aside from his singing- which was on point- he had the emo look down too already with his dark hair parted to cover his eye, black motercycle jacket and black jeans. Juvia was still in her pajamas and bunny slippers. Well, at least her sweat pants were black. Her crop top was dark blue.

Rogue

I _will help him to die_

 _I will show the pain_ _I'm suffering_

 _Giving death without pain_

 _Just one winner for Infernus!_

The crowd was really enjoying it, based on their reactions. Rogue was staring at Juvia mischievously, as if he knew he had the advantage.

Rogue

 _Fake angels are what I see_

 _Real love is what I need_

 _That's why I'm gonna kill_

 _I've no mercy as they hadn't for me_

Rogue definitely hit his climax during the chorus. He pointed directly at Juvia when he sang the mercy lyric and smirked. _'Your turn.'_

Juvia gave a nod and a clap of respect to Rogue as the song readied itself for her verse.

Juvia

 _With no feeling I can't be sinner_

 _That's what they gave me so far_

 _It's not me, it's not you_

 _It's just the way it is_

 _It's not me, it's not my fault_

 _It's just the way it is_

She also smirked in his direction as she sang her part. One of the stage crews turned on a giant fan that blew Juvia's hair back, adding to the effect.

Juvia

 _Fake angels are what I see_

 _Real love is what I need_

 _That's why I'm gonna kill_

 _I've no mercy as they hadn't for me_

Rogue's eyes widened when Juvia's eyes sharpened almost immediatly and she wore an expression of pure hate. She tilted her head to the side in a creepy manner and her eyes went Erza-scary when she sang the final line of the chorus.

 **Erza POV**

Rogue took a step back when the drums stopped. He knew when he had been bested. It took Juvia a moment, but she blinked herself back to normal and looked around and grinned. We cheered loudly with the crowd from out seats.

"Well, thats all the time we have for now everyone! Thanks for watching!" Mira smiled widely at the camera as we all waved goodbye to the viewers. The direct did a silent count down with his fingers before making a slashing hand movement signalling that they we no longer live.

"Rogue..."

"Sting..."

"Lyon-sama..."

"Cobra..."

They coward at the sound of oir voices and hug each other for dear life. "Y-yes..?"

"WE'RE GOING TI KILL YO-"

Of course at that moment the doors burst open and our team runs in and did the honors for us.

"LISTEN HERE YOU LITTLE ONE EYED CRETIN-," Ino furiously yelled while shaking Cobra by the collar of his shirt. The red head from earlier- Garaa I think she called him- hauled her off of him before she could do any serious damage.

"First of all," Cobra began, "it's _'cree-tin'_ if you're gonna threaten me do it properly, and second of all, who the hell are you?!"

Levy face-palmed herself and didn't interfere when Ino broke out of Garaa's grip and assaulted Cobra again.

"Ino! Wait!" Hinata weakly yelled. Kiba was beside her looking around excitedly at all the cameras and lights.

"Chill Ino-pig, their manager texted all of us to tell us what happened."

Garaa manages to pry a struggling Ino off a terrified Cobra, throwing her over his shoulder so her movements were restricted. Ino blinks and pulls out her phone from her back pocket and starts scrolling. "Really? I don't recall- oh." Ino twists and peers over Garaa's shoulder. "Sorry! Nice scar by the way!"

Cobra, Lyon, Sting, and Lyon stay cowering behind us as Ino smiles kindly at them and tries to make amends.

"You can put me down now Garaa."

"No, they're still terrified of you."

"Oh, come on! I barely even touched him!" Ino yelled while shaking her arms up and down. "Put me down!!!"

Sai and Lee snickered as she struggled.

"I think we've wasted enough time now." Shikamaru said, looking very annoyed as he walked in with the rest of his team. Ino immediately stiffened and Garaa placed her down, never taking his eyes off Shikamaru. Cobra and the others straightened as Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, and Jellal came into view.

 _'Well... This is awkward...'_

Luckily, Mavis stepped in. "Ok enough drawbacks. Lets get you to the studio so we can get both groups started.

 _Oh my Mavis, this is really happening..._


	13. Part 13

**General POV**

"Our apologies for being late." Hinata said with a straight face as they entered the meeting room with an air of professionalism. They each took a seat in front of their past, staring straight at them unflinchingly.

"Still in your pajamas I see." Neji said as his eyes flicked to their clothes before settling back on Tenten.

 _'Tch. Leave me alone, I've had enough of you. Calling me by my first name as if we're of the same rankings, always wanting to spar with me. Don't you see I need a good sparring partner, not some weak girl that can't handle a hit...'_

Tenten froze for a heart stopping moment at the flashback before smiling professionally. "Apologies _Hyuga-san_ but you caught us on our day off and while taking the time to get formally dressed seemed like a good idea, we thought it too time consuming for a simple meeting to discuss schedule synchronization for the first week of collaboration."

It was miniscule, but Tenten saw Neji's eye widen a fraction of a millimeter when she called him 'Hyuga-san' before they darkened dangerously. What was his deal?! That was his name and this was- somewhat- of a formal meeting!

"Lets get on with this." Hinata said while tucking a strand of hair behind her head, unaware that Naruto was following her every movement with his eye as if in a trance. Ino pulled out a folder and a sparkly neon blue pen while shifting in her seat so that her leg was comfortably tucked beneath her. A familiar habit that did not go unnoticed by Shikamaru even as kids.

"I can clear everything this week except for Juvia's photoshoot on monday." Ino said while chewing on the end of the pen. "Or Erza's, Lucy's, and Levy's the following weeks after." She added while flipping through a few pages.

"We can't cancel the talk shows this week but we they can be available in afternoons after eight." Shikamaru said with a yawn. "It'll be troublesome but I can clear up and reschedule the rest."

 _'Kami, Ino! You're so troublesome! You always drag me in these little schemes of yours and get me into trouble! All I want is to be left alone! But no! Your annoying ass always appears. No more. Stay the hell away from me Ino. Stay. Away.'_

Ino's grip on her pen tightened as an old memory resurfaced from deep within her mind, but she blinked the memory away. Swallowing, she nods and scribbles some stuff down as he spoke, not so much as glancing in his direction. It was so awkwardly silent that when Ino clicked her pen and they stood up Naruto jumped in surprise.

"That's it?" He asked confused, voicing what the rest of them we're thinking.

"Yes, Uzumaki-san." Hinata answered, turning slightly and finally looking him in the eye. "We have completed what we came here for. Now if you'll excuse us, we have things to discuss with our clients."

Naruto blinked in shock as they walk out as calmly as they had walked in.

 **Lucy's POV**

"We can't avoid talking about it forever..." Erza said calmly the next day, leaning her back on her chair while sipping her coffee. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "They'll be here soon and we are yet to talk about it." We were in the recording studio trying to work on a new song. I was spinning around in circles in one of those wheeled spinny chairs, Levy was seated on the couch, using her foot to push me in circles and Juvia was beside her sitting upside-down on the sofa.

"About what?" Levy said, absentmindedly.

"Gajeel. Natsu. Gray." Erza too a deep breath. "Jellal."

I tensed slightly when she said his name. "What's there to say?" I responded after clearing my throat. "We're stuck in a contract that can't be ended till next year. I'll just have to tolerate his presence a bit." I was aiming to sound nonchalant but I sounded lame even to my own ears.

"It's not that simple Lu-chan..." Levy whispered, using her foot to pause my spinning.

"I know." I said with a sigh, leaning back a bit. "But it needs to be. I- no we can't risk anything when it comes to them. Especially silly old feelings."

"Lucy's right." Erza said with a nod. "This is strictly business. Feelings are to be left out of the workplace."

Levy was silent for a few moments before nodding and proceeding to spin me again. It probably would have been silent for a good long while, had it not been for Juvia's sudden rambunctious laughter that erupted out of nowhere.

"Re-remember when Juvia a-accused Lucy of being a l-love rival!" Juvia managed to say between her giggles, trying desperately to conceal her laughter behind her threaded fingers.

"Oh, yes! I remember!" Levy said with a delighted gasp. "You went all crazy and started stalking her every move!" Levy giggled with Juvia and I couldn't help but crack a grin myself.

"You didn't calm down till Lucy admitted she had a thing for someone else." Erza finished, chuckling. Juvia nodded at the memory, smiling.

"Happy thoughts?" Ino said, poking her head in the studio room.

"Just old memories." I said while sitting up.

"How's that new song coming along?" Hinata asked while closing the door after Tenten and Sakura stepped in.

"Not quite ready yet. We still haven't figured out the final lyrics." Erza said with a sigh. "We've been ...distracted lately."

They all nodded their heads in understanding. "Lets just work on the one you finished last week." Tenten said while ushering us into the soundproof booth. Sakura was already seated and fiddling with the buttons of the sound system. We put the headsets on and waited for Hinata's countdown signaling us to start.

 **Boys POV**

The silence and tension in the room so thick it could be cut with a knife. Gray was seated on the hotel suite sofa his chin resting on his hand as he stared absentmindedly at the empty T.V. screen. Jellal was leaning on the frame of a large window with his arms crossed in front of him, his brow was scrunched up slightly in deep thought. Gajeel was unconsciously petting his cat Pantherlily as he stared- more like glared- at the wall in front of him and Natsu was staring at the ground with his hands in his hair with an intense expression on his face.

"...She's gotten taller..." Jellal mumbled, looking away from the window after a moment to break the silence.

Gray glanced at him for a few seconds before responding quietly. "Her hair has grown..."

Gajeel suddenly laid back on his bed, his arm draped over his eyes. "Her eyes are brighter than I remembered..."

Natsu was silent for so long Gray, Jellal, and Gajeel turned to see if he was even still living. They were surprised to see him staring at the floor in deep thought.

"Her smell is different."

"….. And you call me a pervert."

"Shut up popsicle queen! You trying to start a fight?!" Natsu raged while jumping to his feet, his earlier comment forgotten.

"Enough you two, we don't have time for your silly antics." Neji declared while walking into the suite unannounced. "We need to get going or we're going to be late to the first rehearsals. And keep your shirt on this time Gray."

Gajeel sighed, masking his absolute nervousness with indifference as he grabbed his coat and stepped out of the suite with the rest of them. The drive to MAVIS corp was usually half an hour from their hotel due to traffic but it was surprisingly light today so they made it in ten, much to Natsu and Gajeel's relief, who got car sick absurdly easily.

"Never again!" Natsu cried while pointing an accusatory finger at the vehicle that transports him everywhere. "You're a public health hazard!"

"Shut up and get moving." Shikamaru said while rolling his eyes and stifling a yawn. "You guys are such drags to ride with."

Natsu hmph indignantly but hurried inside the MAVIS corp building. They piled into the elevator and pressed the button for the seventh floor where they were told the recording room was located.

"This place is as big as ZEREF Inc." Gray muttered under his breath as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out to a lobby that looked exactly like the lobby on the first floor.

"What the hell?!" Naruto cried, pointing an accusatory finger at the attendant behind the desk. "Weren't you at the front desk a moment ago?!"

"Piri- I mean, nope! That must've been my sister you saw." She giggled and wiggled her fingers as a greeting.

"Oh."

She giggled again "Piri- I mean, I'll escort you to them! I just need you to sign in here…."

"Creepy." Gray muttered under his breath as they wandered a bit while their team handled that.

"Scared, ice brain?"

"At least I can hold my stomach contents in an elevator flame brain."

"Oi! You pickin to start a fight?!

"Music?" Gajeel suddenly mumbled, interrupting their would-be brawl.

"What?" Jellal asked, not really paying attention.

"There's music playing somewhere nearby." Gajeel repeated.

"Oh! I hear it too! It's coming from over there!" Natsu points at the end of the hallway to their left. Curious, they approach the music. Gray and Jellal strain a bit to hear the music, but as they walk further down the hall becomes more clear. Natsu would pause at every door for a moment before moving on, trying to pinpoint exactly where the music was coming from. It wasn't till they reached the very end of the hall when Natsu pushed open a door that was left slightly ajar. Gray, Natsu, Jellal, and Gajeel's eyes widened at what they saw.

Juvia, Lucy, Erza, and Levy were all seated on high stools, each had their own mic in front of them and they were turned slightly away from the door so they didn't notice them come in. They had headphones on and their eyes closed, focused solely on the music. Their managers didn't hear the boys either because they were focused on the sound system and signaling them when to come in.

Erza

 _If I die young, bury me in satin_

 _Lay me down on a bed of roses_

 _Sink me in a river_

 _At dawn, send me away with the words of a love song_

 _Uh oh, uh oh_

Jellal felt the air rush out of him as he listened to the Erza's voice singing. He was entranced by the way she kept her eyes shut peacefully and tilted her head slightly as she sang, causing her red hair to tumble down her shoulder. Her lyrics washed over him like a cool strong breeze, despite his body's refusal to take in air as he witnessed this unfold.

Lucy

 _Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my_ _mother_

 _She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh,_

 _And life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no_

 _Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby_

Natsu was captivated by her the moment he laid eyes on her behind the glass wall. She spread her fingers a little in her lap when she said 'rainbow' and a tiny smile adorned her face when she spoke of her mother, something Natsu remembered was a touchy subject for Lucy, given that she was an orphan. Her voice was so soothing, like a mother's voice, it made his heart race much to his chagrin.

Erza and Lucy

 _The sharp knife of a short life_

Lucy

 _oh well_ _I've had just enough time_

Lucy and Erza

 _If I die young, bury me in satin_

 _Lay me down on a bed of roses_

 _Sink me in the river at dawn_

 _Send me away with the words of a love song_

 _The sharp knife of a short life, oh well_

Erza

 _I've had just enough time_

Levy

 _And I'll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom_

 _I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger,_

 _I've never known the lovin' of a man_

 _But it sure felt nice when he was holdin' my hand,_

 _There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever,_

Juvia and Levy

 _Who would have thought forever could be severed by..._

Levy

 _...the sharp knife of a short life, oh well?_

 _I've had just enough time_

Gajeel's jaw all but dropped as he listened to shri- erm, Levy sing her lyrics. He could feel himself being lifted into her world as she sang, and even though she didn't hit any ridiculously amazing notes, he couldn't help but feel astounded by her voice, especially in her last verse.

Lucy

 _So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls_

 _What I never did is done_

Juvia

 _A penny for my thoughts, oh, no,_

 _I'll sell 'em for a dollar_

 _They're worth so much more after I'm a goner_

 _And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'_

 _Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'_

Gray felt hypnotized as he watched Juvia sway from side to side, her flowing hair was cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall, swishing from side to side as she sang. Gray found himself holding his breath hoping she would open her eyes so he could see her midwinter sky blue eyes. Unlike her soft benevolent voice, the resounding truth behind her words brought a cold feeling to his gut like a sharp knife.

Girls

 _If I die young, bury me in satin_

 _Lay me down on a bed of roses_

 _Sink me in the river at dawn_

 _Send me away with the words of a love song_

Their singing truly hit its peak when they sang together, harmonizing and balancing their voices perfectly.

Erza (Lucy)

 _Uh oh (uh, oh)_

 _The ballad of a dove (uh, oh)_

 _Go with peace and love_

 _Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket_

 _Save 'em for a time when you're really gonna need 'em, oh_

Juvia

 _The sharp knife of a short life, oh well_

 _I've had just enough time_

Levy

 _So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls._

 **Girls POV**

"Not bad."

Sakura stifled a gasp and tried not to make it obvious she had jumped a little at the sound of Sasuke's voice at the door. _'How long has he been standing there!?'_ She wondered fiercely, fighting back a blush as they formally stepped in the recording room. Behind the glass wall, Levy, Lucy, Juvia and Erza were dying internally.

"Oh sweet Mavis, they heard us!" Levy panicked slightly,clinging to Juvia for dear life who hugged her back just as hard.

" _That's_ what you're panicking about?" Lucy deadpanned, masking her own panic with a 'seriously' look.

Juvia stops hyperventilating for a moment before conceding to her comment. "They were going to hear us sing one way or another eventually. Juvia supposes it could have been worse."

"Yeah," Erza said, trying to lighten up the mood. "They could have caught us singing in the shower."

"Or dancing in the mirror." Lucy added, grinning devilishly.

Levy whined "You said you wouldn't bring that up again!"

Lucy and Juvia were a fit of giggles.

"Um, You guys know you're on speaker right?" Ino commented, amused.

"NANI?!"

"Uh, we're still here y'know…" Naruto pointed out.

"Enough with this nonsense. Let's get down to business-"

"To defeat!"

"The huns!"

The guys glared at the girls as they fell into another fit of giggles. There was so much tension in the small room that the girls didn't know how to act. Their different personalities were fighting for dominance inside of them and their silly side took this as an opportunity to slip past the others and make an appearance. Swallowing their giggles they clear their throats and apologize, mentally cursing the amount of Disney time they spent with their children.

"For the love of kami, for once in your life don't be a nuisance and try to be serious." Shikamaru growled while rubbing his temples. Regret immediately burned inside him when he saw Ino flinch slightly, but she recovered instantly, replacing it with a dull look that didn't suit her at all.

Standing from her chair, Shikamaru watches her open the door and motion for the girls to come out, never so much as sparing him another glance. Meanwhile, Tenten, Sakura, and Hinata were burning in rage. How _dare_ he! Ino was just as a valuable team member as the rest of them! He had no right to put her down as if he knew anything about her. Tenten opened her mouth to tell him as much, but Ino shot them a look that said to stand down. Hinata and Sakura clenched their jaws but abided to her wishes. Tenten, however, fought back with a fierce glare. _'I will not allow him to say such things about you in my presence.'_ But Ino was unwavered, giving her a pleading look to let it go.

Juvia and the others missed the interaction because they had already taken off their headsets by then, of course they had their own problems to deal with.

"I'll get straight to the point." Neji said with a hard look in his eyes. "We don't think your clients have the skills to work with ours."

Hinata's and the rest of the teams jaws clenched and eyes narrowed to tiny dangerous slits. He was treading on light water, and they all knew it.

"W-what Neji means," Naruto interrupted before Neji could ruin this for them entirely. "Is that we analyzed the soundtracks provided to us and their music style, well, it's not how our clients work-"

"Which is why collaborations are made so artists can work together and come up with a compromise." Tenten snapped. "Not bend to the will and wants of just one artist."

Hinata placed a hand on Tenten shoulders to calm her down before she could ruin this for them entirely. "How many soundtracks were you given to analyze?" She asked with a straight face.

Naruto felt his face flush slightly now that Hinata's undivided attention was on him. "J-just two."

"And you've already drawn conclusions on my clients based on two performances?" Hinata asked with a raised brow, her facade not breaking once. She slowly slid her eyes over to Neji. "Seems like more of an assumption to me."

Neji clenched his jaw but did not back down from her stare. He would rather die than admit defeat. Ino took this moment to step in. "Sakura and I did a little investigation of our own and we think we have an idea for two of your singers and two of our own."

"But only if you're willing to collaborate." Sakura finished.

Silence hung in the air like a thick fog. Levy and the others knew they should have been paying attention to what was going on- I mean, they were talking about the collaboration with their sort-of exes for crying out loud- but the entire interaction was so dramatic it was nearly impossible not to pull out a bowl a popcorn and watch this unfold like some kind of dramatic telenovela. Even if Juvia was grabing entire fistfulls of popcorn and Lucy was munching on them too loud.

"I think we should give it a shot." Sasuke voiced. If Sakura was surprised, she didn't show it.

"...We'll try it." Naruto accepted reluctantly.

Hinata nodded. "Alright. Juvia, Lucy. You're up." Jumping slightly, Juvia quickly grabs another fistfull of popcorn before getting up with Lucy. "Which of yours volunteer?"

Naruto opens his mouth to answer but he's interrupted by two voices how all but rush to answer.

"I will." Natsu and Gray answered, standing up calmly unlike their raging insides that were question their sanity. Juvia and Lucy choke a bit on their popcorn when they heard who spoke up, not that anyone noticed. Ino just nods and motions them to follow her. Lucy and Juvia had just taken took two steps towards the recording booth when they were stopped.

"Juvia, Lucy."

"Y-yea?"

"Where are you going?"

"The...recording booth, no? Didn't you say you had an idea for us?"

Ino raised an amused brow. "Yes, but not a recording."

"T-then? Juvia is confused."

Ino flashed a wicked grin.

 _"We're making a freaking music video."_

 **General POV**

Piano music begins to play on the background and the camera focuses on the ocean and its waves. Slowly it moves towards Juvia in a short white flowy dress walking along the side of the beach barefoot, a soft smile gracing her face as she begins to sing. She stares out at the ocean, the breeze pushing her blue locks away from her face.

Juvia

 _Aunque sea el mismo cielo y es el mismo sol_

 _son las mismas calles pero yo no soy_

 _no soy la misma._

The camera then shifts to Lucy who is in a similar dress but in a beautiful meadow that has a constant breeze blowing. She runs her hands along the tall grass while walking through the meadow as if contemplating an old memory.

Lucy

 _Y como un turista puedo caminar_

 _descubriendo cosas nuevas al andar_

 _porque estas conmigo_

Camera shifts back to Juvia as she hugs herself while watching the sun set with sad eyes.

Juvia

 _Porque estas conmigo_ _empiezo a descubrir_

 _las cosas sencillas_ _que antes no vivi._

The screen splits and shows Juvia on the right staring at the sea and Lucy on the left singing at the stars. They outstretch their arms, Juvia to the sea and Lucy to the stars, as if something would gracefully fall into their arms.

Lucy and Juvia

 _La voz del mar y las estrellas_ q _ue hablan tanto de ti_

 _La voz que grita en el silencio_ _que me quieres aqui,_

 _Cerca de ti._

 _El beso tuyo en cada gota_ _que me moja al andar_

 _La luz que fluye en el sonido_ _de un pequeño al llorar_

 _me haces vivir, me haces reir,_ _y respirar_

Lowering their arms slowly the continue to walk, Juvia along the beach and Lucy through the meadow. The camera then shifts to Natsu who is on the other side of the meadow, seated on a big rock wearing black dress pants and a white long sleeve dress shirt, except the sleeves were messily rolled up. He stares at the meadow as of searching or waiting for someone, but not really expecting to find anyone or for anyone to actually show up.

Natsu

 _Aunque estabas conmigo_ _no pude entender_

 _que estaba rodeado de tanto placer_

 _de tantos motivos_

The camera shifts far away to Gray who as at the other side on the beach with his hands in his pockets. He's wearing black slacks and a white dress shirt that was slightly unbuttoned at the top and the sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. He stares at the beach in a tender way as if remember something he once had. He smiles briefly at the end of his verse but the smile fades quickly.

Gray

 _Y de mi rutina tube que salir_

 _para detenerme y verte sonreir_ _y sentirme vivo_

Natsu jumps down from the rock, sticks his hands in his pockets and begins to walk away from the rock. He looks like he's reliving an old cherished memory.

Natsu

 _Porque estas conmigo_ _empiezo a descubrir_

l _as cosas sencillas_ _que antes no vivi_.

The screen splits again Gray to the right and Natsu to the left. Gray stares at the ocean similarly to Juvia while walking and Natsu stares at the stars like Lucy.

Gray and Natsu

 _La voz del mar y las estrellas_ _que hablan tanto de ti_

 _La voz que grita en el silencio_ _que me quieres aqui_ ,

 _Cerca de ti._

The screen goes whole switching between Lucy, Juvia, Gray, and Natsu.

All

 _El beso tuyo en cada gota_ _que me moja al andar_

 _La luz que fluye en el sonido_ _de un pequeño al llorar_

 _me haces vivir, me haces reir,_ _y respirar._

Natsu reaches a clearing and about 100 feet ahead of him stood Lucy and they stare at each other.

Lucy

 _y respirar, ooooh oooh_

 _me hacer vivir, reir, cantar_

Gray begins to walk down a long rock that juts out in the ocean and at the end he pauses and stares at Juvia who was just turning around, she freezes when she sees him.

Juvia

 _y respirar_

 _ooohhh ooohhh_

Both Gray and Natsu approach the girls as the sing and stop when their noses are just just millimeters away from each other.

Lucy and Juvia

 _y respirar._

 **Lucy POV**

"And Cut! That's a wrap!" Tenten said, motioning for the cameramen to start putting away the gear.

I immediately jerk away from Natsu when Tenten's voice reaches my ears. My heart is pounding loudly in my ears from our closeness. There's no way we're going to be able to see this collaboration through. Too much was at stake. My sanity for one.

"I think that's enough for today..." Tenten said tiredly, running a hand down her face in exhaustion.

I sighed in relief and walked towards her, trying to put as much distance between me and Natsu as possible. Juvia was practically doing the same thing, except it looked like she was running away from Gray instead of calmly walking away. This was not what I had in mind when Ino said she had an idea. It was only our first day on the collaboration contract and we were already filming a freaking music video! Who does that?!

"Well, MAVIS Corp didn't get on top for slacking off, that's for sure." I muttered under my breath.

"Tenten-chan," Juvia said when she finally reached us, trying to rub the tiredness off her eyes. Behind her I can see Gray staring at her from a distance, looking like he wanted to talk to her. "What time is it?"

Tenten glances up from her clipboard at Juvia before checking her wristwatch. "It's a quarter after one."

"I'm all alone and I need you now~" Ino obnoxiously sang while swaying on her hips. Our nervousness loosens a bit at her goofing off and we giggle and her silly antics. "I'm so sleepy I feel drunk." Ino said, practically in tears.

"Hey, this was your idea remember."

"And Sakura's too!" She whined, unwilling to take all the blame on her own.

"Have you checked in in Levy and Erza?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Hinata texted me earlier, she said that they wrapped it up early today cause Levy and Erza fell asleep multiple times."

"Really? All Sakura texted me was, quote 'Save me. I'm dying!' With a bunch of crying emojis." Ino muttered and sighed. "This is ridiculous! I'm missing quality time with Knox for this!" She whined childishly while stomping her foot. "I'm missing his cuddles!"

"I'm missing quality sleep time with Luke." I sighed.

"Juvia just wants to nuzzle Silver and hug him." Juvia joined in with a small smile.

Tenten chuckled. "I know what you mean. I just want to go home and kiss my own."

"And if that wasn't bad enough," Ino looked left and right to check if there was no one nearby to hear her before leaning in secretively. "I could practically feel him burning holes into the back of my head with his constant staring throughout the video! How am I supposed to do my job well if he keeps distracting me like that! He's staring at me right now isn't he?! I swear to kami-"

Tenten rolled her eyes but Juvia and I couldn't help but giggle at her extra-ness. She was right though, he- they more like- were indeed looking in our direction constantly.

"They're coming!" Juvia whisper shrieked as they slowly came our way. Luckily, they stopped a good five feet away.

"Perhaps, we- erm, I was a bit too quick to rush to judgement." Neji admitted, specifically avoiding Tenten's gaze.

"Hn." Was all Tenten said before turning on her heel and marching back to the building, too tired and sleepy to rub it in his face. I saw something flash deep within his pupil-less eyes- longing maybe?- before they went back to their usual cold way. Not seeing a reason to stick around any longer Juvia, Ino, and I hurry back to the building too. I was itching to get out of this dress- cute as it was- and put something more sleep-comfortable on.

"Juvia will head up in a minute, she needs to return this dress to Mira-san."Juvia said while rubbing some sleep away from her eyes. The dress Ino ordered for her fit her too short- she has _long_ legs- for the music video so they borrowed one from Mira who was about her size.

"I'll see you two tomorrow, I gotta meet up with Sakura and the others." Ino said, waving us goodnight.

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow." I said with a wave and a yawn as we went out separate ways. Me towards the elevator ahead and Juvia and Ino disappearing into a large hallway that probably had another elevator. This collaboration was killing us and this is only the first day! Right now, all I want to do is just get home and sleep. Unfortunately, the stars did not hear my wish. As I pushed the button for the elevator, I sensed a presence behind me. A very familiar and _warm_ presence.

"Hey, Lucy… Long time no see."

I reminded myself to _breathe_ as I pressed the button again.

"Hello, Dragneel." I said, short and stiff. Making it clear that I had zero interest in having a conversation with him. I must've caught him off guard with the name because he was silent for a moment.

"How have you been?"

I sighed. "Listen Dragneel-"

"Natsu."

"Huh?"

"My name is Natsu. You know that." He seemed kind of frustrated, but I was too tired to care.

"Listen _Dragneel_ , I've had a long stressful day and I am very tired so if you could kindly take your small talk and shove it up your ass you'll be doing me a huge favor because you and I are not friends or even _acquaintances_ to have any sort of communication beyond work." I stepped into my elevator and quickly pressed on the infinity button before he could respond. The doors closed on his shocked/hurt face slowly but I kept my facial expression hard. There was no way I'd let him back into my life. I made that mistake once already.


	14. Part 14

"So, let me get this straight," Levy said while pinching the bridge of her nose. "We've been signed into a yearlong collaboration contract."

"Yup."

"With the fathers of our children." Erza added.

"Seems like it."

"Whose team happens to be the fathers our children." Hinata said, motioning to Ino, Tenten, Sakura and herself.

"Mmhm!"

"Whose boss is also the father of your child." Juvia pointed out.

"...Surprise?" Mavis tried.

"How the hell do we get ourselves into these kind of situations?" Lucy groans while pulling at her hair.

"For real, like, our everyday lives would start with that opening, ' _Televisa Presenta…'_ " Ino snickered and Sakura threw a pillow at her face.

"Oh my stars..." Tenten said, throwing her hands up in the air. "We're so screwed." She groaned while sinking into the couch beside Hinata.

"You just noticed?" Sakura sarcastically drawled while nervously chewing on her thumb nail.

"No, I mean we're really screwed!" Tenten continued, ignoring the jab. "You know how smart Neji is! He'll eventually get suspicious! He'll investigate! He has the money and the resources! It's only a matter of time!"

Hinata shook her head. "If Neji is in this field as well I doubt he still has Hyuga resources backing him up..."

"Even so," Ino scoffed. "He has Shikamaru, who is a freaking genius!"

"Jellal is no idiot either..." Erza mumbled dejectedly.

"They aren't the brightest, but Juvia knows Gajeel and Gray aren't fools either." Juvia said.

"If we're lucky, Naruto's cluelessness will buy us some more time." Hinata grumbled.

"And Natsu's." Lucy chimed in tiredly.

Mavis stayed silent throughout the entire conversation, her chin resting on her hand as she silently stared outside. "He'll take him..." She whispered silently. We furrowed our eyebrows in confusion.

"What?"

"If Zeref finds out about Larcade, he'll want to take him from me." Mavis said louder, her usually cheerful face was now serious and cold. Everyone's eyes widened.

"B-but, he can't do that! You're his mother!" Lucy stammered.

Tenten groaned and dropped her head in her hands. "Legally he can sue for custody." She whispered quietly. "They all can."

The room went silent with that information. Our dread became evident in our gaze as we stared at each other in panic.

"They're all we have left..." Ino whispered while staring at her clenched fists. "Everything we do is for them. We come home from a tired day to be with them. I get up every morning for him. My precious baby. I'd be nothing without him! We'd be nothing without them!" Ino draped her arm over her eyes in an attempt to hide her tears from us. "He needs me. They can't take him from me. They just...can't.. They're all we have left." Ino's voiced cracked with her last words and she broke down before us. Lucy and Sakura shot to her, wrapping their arms around Ino's figure as their own sobs racked over their bodies. The rest of us followed close behind, trying not to cry, but failing miserably. Mavis calmly walked over to us and placed a hand on Ino's head in a comforting manner.

"We can't ever let them find out. For our children's sake, and for our own."

 **Timeskip**

"Come on baby, just a few more bites." Juvia said while carefully guiding the small spoon to her son's mouth. "Say 'aaahhhh' for mama!"

Silver eagerly leaned in to take a bite of his baby food, giggling in delight as some of it spilled down his chin. Juvia gently used the soon to scoop it up. "Oh Silver, you're just like your mama. Aren't you?"

Silver replied with a big, one-toothed smile and a giggle that melted Juvia's heart.

Erza paused from feeding Rosemary to glare at them. "Juvia, I'm warning you. If Silver keeps that up I just might kidnap him and keep him to myself."

Rosemary whined and pouted for being ignored.

"Don't worry Rosemary-chan," Juvia leaned in as if she was going to tell her a secret. "If it makes you feel better, you're so cute sometimes Juvia wants steal you too."

"Puh-lease, if anyone stealing anyone's children, it's gonna be me." Ino said from the entrance of the kitchen.

"Good luck with that, Knox is the most protective and jealous boy I've ever met." Hinata giggled. "He would never want to share you with anybody."

"He is not! My boy is a sweet little angel! Aren't you?" Ino beamed down at her son and he smiled lazily up at her. Knox was an interesting little boy. He always has a lazy/bored look on his face, but when he's with his mother he shows other emotions.

"Is that so?" The girls asked with a raised brow, glancing down at Knox who was sitting on the floor sucking his thumb with one hand and, unbeknownst to Ino, had a tight grip on her leg with the other hand that would tighten slightly whenever someone stood too close for his liking or even walked past her. Sakura grinned mischievously when an idea came to her head.

"Alright Ino-pig, prove it. Carry Blossom in front of Knox."

Ino blinked at the unexpected dare. "Eh?"

"If your boy isn't as jealous as we claim then I'll buy you both lunch."

"You know he just started eating solid foods right?"

"Details, details." Sakura said with a wave of her hand. "So?"

"Mmmm, fine! But only to prove you all wrong!" Ino said with a huff. "Um… Knox, baby? Mama needs you to let go of her leg for a moment." The girls snickered as they watched Knox's bored look turn into a frown, but he did as he was told. He and everyone else curiously watched Ino march out of the kitchen. Knox frowned when Ino left his line of sight so he got up and shakily waddled after his mother, using the cabinets to keep his balance. He smiled a bit when he saw her leaning over the playpen and hurried to attach himself to her leg again when she suddenly straightened.

"Ha! See?" Ino exclaimed with a triumphant look on her face as she held up a confused Blossom.

"Uhh...Ino…" Tenten began.

"I'm carrying Blossom and nothing has happened-"

"Ino-chan maybe you should-" Juvia tried.

"You owe us lunch billboard brow!"

"Ino I think you should put Blossom down now." Sakura said slowly, watching Knox with a wary expression on her face.

"Huh? How com-? Ino stopped when she caught sight of Knox's face. He had one foot hovering above the floor mid-step and his arms were out mid-reach in her direction. His eyes were wide and he looked betrayed, like his world was falling apart. "M-mama?" he asked with uncertainty as he looked between an uncomfortable Blossom and Ino. His wobbly legs gave way beneath him as his breathing turned heavier and his eyes began to water. "Mama, mine." He cried, his cute voice cracking at the end. "M-mama mine!"

Ino stared at her son in shock for a moment before immediately handing a squirming Blossom to Sakura, who had walked over as everything unfolded, and scooping Knox off the ground, holding him in a vise grip as he sobbed into her chest. "Yes, baby, Mommy's sorry. She's all yours." Ino whispered silently just to him, blinking back her own tears and she clung to him.

' _Cursed hormones'_ Erza thought while scrubbing at her eyes as she watched this all unfold from the kitchen door.

"They're perfect for each other." Hinata murmured.

"How do you mean?"

"You see, Ino had a really big crush on Shikamaru, the serious man who looks just like Knox-"

"Ha! Try huge. Huge crush." Tenten interrupted.

"-Anyway, after he blew up and told her off she felt unwanted and useless. Luckily, Sakura was quick to slap some sense into her, but nothing has been more healing than Knox. She needs him as much as he needs her. It's the same for all of us."

A comfortable silence settled around the girls as they admired their children before Lucy suddenly blinks and turned red from embarrassment.

" _Órale_ , Lu-chan what's up with that face you're making." Levy said with a smirk while Juvia leaned closer to her and whispered 'perv'.

"N-no! I'm not thinking anything weird! I just remembered I had an encounter yesterday…"

"An encounter? How?" Erza paused with fear. "Was it Ichiya?! Did he get past security again?! OH, HELL NAH! I'M GOING INTO HIDING!! WHERE'S ROSEMARY?! JUVIA GET MY SUITCASES-"

"No, it wasn't Ichiya… I almost wish it was…" Lucy muttered. "It was Natsu."

"Tea." Sakura yelled and Ino sprinted over from the living room. "Spill."

All eyes were on Lucy as she retold what happened late last night. It was silent when she finished until Ino suddenly doubled over from laughter. "That was absolutely badass!"

"Ino!" They yelled, covering their children's ears in horror.

"Sorry, I mean hardcore. That was totally hardcore." She amended.

"Yeah! Put him in his place!" Sakura agreed while crossing her arms. "This isn't some lame, unoriginal crossover fanfiction where the guy gets forgiven after just thirty seconds of meeting the girl again just because he throws some flowery words and says he's sorry."

The room went silent as the girls and the babies stared at Sakura in confusion

"...I'm sorry, what?" Tenten deadpanned.

Sakura waved her hand carelessly. "You know what I mean."

"No, we really don't…"

"Well, anyhow, I think that was very brave of you and indeed very… hardcore." Hinata said with a smile. "I know for sure I wouldn't be able to do that. I'd just get nervous and faint."

"Nope, not me! I'd love an opportunity to put that pineapple head in his place," Ino growled, "…Despite the fact that he gave me that adorable specimen over there." Ino cooed at the couch where a sleeping Knox laid, her flowery aura back again.

' _How could Nara-san not like Ino-chan?'_ Juvia wondered as she and the others laughed at her antics. ' _She's so jovial and she never fails to cheer us up! She is literally the life of the party where there is no party happening!'_

"Well, for me it's probably best the Hyuga and I don't clash because kami knows what would happen if we were to clash." Tenten said while creepily sharpening a- is that a _kunai?!_

"Cataclysmic termination for sure." Levy mumbled while inching closer to Erza for protection.

"Oh no!" Juvia slapped her forehead. "Juvia almost forgot! She needs to return Mira-sans dress!"

"I thought you returned it yesterday though." Lucy said, confused.

"Juvia did but as Juvia went over there someone told Juvia that she wasn't in her office anymore so Juvia decided that she come back tomorrow. Juvia has some time now she'll be quick." Juvia got up and placed Silver inside the playpen. She quickly kissed his forehead and reminded him to behave himself before dashing up stairs to grab the dress.

 **General POV**

Juvia hurried To the elevator and down the hallway to Mira's office, humming lightly to herself. They had met with Mira a few times since the whole show incident and they liked her very much. She was an interestingly unusual person with a bright and bubbly personality. She recently had shared with them that she was secretly dating the famous boxer Laxus, 'Lightning Dragon' was his stage name.

"He's really big Mira!" Levy exclaimed when she showed them a picture of him. "Doesn't he scare you sometimes?!"

"He's actually really sweet." Mira said with a giggle. "And he's usually very cool and collected. I've only ever seen him lose his temper once." Mira added while tapping her chin thoughtfully.

After that Mira changed the topic and it wasn't brought back up. ' _That is probably for the best,'_ Juvia thought as she neared Mira's closed office door. ' _Despite Mira-san's reassurance that he's nice, he still looks like he could snap anyone in half with just his fingers! Juvia can't even begin to imagine what happened to whatever it was that invoked his wrath.'_

Juvia shivered at just the thought as she raised her hand to knock on the door. "Mira-san? Juvia is here to return your dress. Juvia came yesterday but she was told you weren't here..."

No response.

Juvia knocked again and tried the door knob. "Mira?"

' _That's weird… Mira-san's door is usually wide ope-'_

That's when she heard it. Some rustling on the other side of the door.

"Mira?"

"Mmmph!!"

"Mira?! Are you alright?"

"MMPH!!"

Panicking, Juvia kicks down the door and gasps when she sees Mira tied up on her office chair with a blindfold and gag on her face. Her tear streaked, tired face morphs into a mixture of relief and fear when Juvia rushes over and rips the blindfold off. "Mira! What happened?! Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?!"

"W-water.." Is all Mira managed to croak as she squeezed her eyes shut to the glare of the lights, a few more tears slipping out of her eyes. Her throat was so damn dry, it hurt. Juvia hurriedly grabbed the cup of water and held it to Mira's mouth, some of the water trailing down her mouth and chin.

"Who did this to you?!" Juvia exclaimed.

"I don't know," Mira breathed when she stopped drinking. "I was chloroformed."

"Juvia will untie you now!"

"No." Mira panted, trying to collect her thoughts.

"Wha-"

"Listen carefully, Juvia." The urgency in her voice made Juvia shut up. "There is a pressure pad underneath me, so if I get off this chair, the top floor of the building explodes where Mavis's office is and the bottom floor also. It could bring down the whole building."

Juvia's heart seizes in her chest. Silver and the other babies were there!

"Listen, Juvia. We can avoid fatalities if you follow my instructions exactly as I say, alright?"

Shaking, Juvia takes a deep breath and nods her head yes.

"Okay, grab my phone and call Mavis. Put it on speaker."

With unsteady hands, Juvia grabs the phone and dials the direct line to Mavis's office.

"Mira! I was just about to call you, but Larcade won't give me two seconds to-"

"We have a code red Mavis."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Where."

"In my office-"

"I'm on my way-"

"No! Juvia is with me, I need you to listen. You need to ready the choppers, now. Everyone on the top two floors needs to be evacuated through the roof. Everyone else can evacuate through the front doors. After that, call in a bomb squad."

"Bomb squad? What's going on Mira?"

"Someone broke into my office last night and wired a pressure pad onto my office chair. If I move the entire top floor explodes and even if it's a bluff I know that neither one of us is willing to risk it."

"...Okay…. Don't worry, Juvia. They'll be safe. I promise."

"Thank you," Juvia shakily, whispered. Something about hearing Mavis's happy cheerful voice go into serious battle mode helped Juvia ground herself a little. They could do this. Everything will be fine.

"Juvia, what are you doing?"

"Closing the door." Juvia calmly replied.

"What? No! You need to get out of here!"

"No. Juvia is not leaving until Mira-san is able to safely get out of that chair."

Maybe it was the determined look in Juvia's eyes or the set of her jaw, or perhaps it was the terrifying idea of being alone in a situation like that that prevented Mira from insisting that Juvia leave.

"Piri- I mean, warning: code red. This is not a drill. Everyone exit the MAVIS corp building immediately. I repeat this is not a drill. Authorities have already been notified."

Both Mira and Juvia relaxed a bit when Gemini finished giving the announcement and murmuring and hurried footsteps could be heard. Two seconds later Juvia's phone rang.

"Juvia!" Hinata

"Where are you?!" Levy.

"Are you safe?" Erza.

"What's going on?" Ino and Sakura

"Are you with Mira? Lucy

They were all talking at once Juvia didn't know which to respond first.

"J-juvia is fine, but you need to get to the roof with the kids now!"

"What? Juvia what's going on?!" Erza's sharp voice cut through all the other voices.

"There's a bomb in the building that will detonate in the first and last floor if Mira-san moves from her office chair."

"WHAT?!"

"Please! Just get to the roof! The choppers will be there soon!" Juvia begged as they asked more questions.

"No way in hell Juvia!' Erza growled. "I'm going down there."

"No! Please, get them out! Their safety is my top priority and it's yours too. Juvia is safe. Please get Silver and the others out." There was silence on the other end as Erza battled with her conscience. "Please Erza."

Juvia's heart pounded as the silence on the other end extended out, then, "Damnit, Juvia if you die we will kill you! You hear me?!"

Juvia sighed with relief and managed a slight half smile amidst her terror.

"You got it."

 **With the guys**

"Go left! left!"

"Shut the hell up Natsu, I know what I'm doing!" Gray growled.

"If that were true we wouldn't have been stuck on this level for the past hour!" Gajeel grumbled.

"Shut up, Gajeel! We'd be at the boss level if you actually followed instructions and did as I say!" Natsu retorted.

"Who died and made you in charge?!" Gray snapped without removing his eyes from the screen.

"Dude, you could literally eat anything, but you choose to eat 32 cent ramen?" Shikamaru grunted while opening the cupboards only to find stacks and stacks of instant ramen.

"Well excuuuuse me, but Ichiraku doesn't open for another hour and we all know I'm gonna need a large bowl today given the importance of today's collab meeting." Naruto replied in annoyance.

"Hn. You're not fooling anyone. You've been stressing eating ever since the whole collaboration project was announced."

Translation: You've been stress eating ever since you saw Hinata.

"Shut up, Dobe! You haven't been faring any better than I have!"

"NYAHAHAHAHA~ I DID IT! **DRAGONLORD: END** BEAT LEVEL 60!!!!"

"DON'T BE STUPID ASH FOR BRAINS! THAT WAS ALL ME!!! YOU BARELY LANDED TWO HITS!"

"YOU AN' STRIPPER WEREN'T EVEN CLOSE TO MY LEVEL! I LANDED THE FATAL BLOW!"

"GRRR FIGHT ME!"

 **"YOU'RE ON!"**

Jellal and Neji sighed from the back of the living room and watched as the others raised havoc in what used to be a pristine living room. Their morning interview, and only interview for the day, had been canceled which meant they had free time until their meeting with the collaboration group. Things had been way more hectic around ever since the collaboration started, and it had nothing to do with the workload.

What Neji didn't understand is why his heart seemed to race every time he thought of Tenten. He had never felt like this about anyone! Much less a girl he had practically grown up with. It made no sense. She wasn't stunningly pretty like Ino. (Though he came to realize that women that were too pretty were too stuck up.) She really didn't have any interesting features like Sakura's pink hair (Something he would never understand why Uchiha had taken an interest to) or colored eyes (Though he had noticed that her eyes looked like pools of rich, golden brown honey in the sunlight.)

As a matter of fact he had never even seen her hair out of those ridiculously cute- _ridiculous_ buns. And another thing! She didn't even have a normal hobby! She collected weapons for pete-sake! She refused to wear dresses and skirts as a child, and even fought with the principal to allow her to wear pants because it was a traditional private school. It made absolutely no sense for hm to have these feelings. As of now any feelings he thought he felt are absolutely nonexiste-

 **"Breaking News: MAVIS CORP is currently under a bomb threat-"**

Neji whipped around to face the TV in shock. It was deathly silent in the room as they all watched the TV in frozen horror. Images of people running, police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks filled the screen before it switched out to people that were being interviewed.

"It's that lady from the front desk with the twin sister." Naruto said, any of his usual trace humor devoid from his voice.

"Piri-I mean, I'm not sure what happened," She said looking a bit disheveled and worried. "I was just filing some papers when I received a call to evacuate the entire building. I haven't seen my sister- GEMINI!"

The camera spins just as the lady runs past the interviewer and hugs a crying woman that looks exactly like her.

"She's trapped!" She sobbed

"Who?!"

"Mira!"

"Mirajane?!"

"Yes! But she's not alone!"

"Oh dear, who's with her?"

Gemini paused to catch her breath. "Juvia."

 **"WHAT?!"** Gray roared while jumping to his feet to walk closer to the TV.

"A-and," Gemini hiccupped and her sister rubbed her back soothingly. "I haven't seen Hinata, Lucy, or any of the other girls-"

The broadcast was cut off then due to the havoc, but it was pointless then because they guys were gone. Out the door so fast the door was left swinging in their wake.

A/N: *hiding* PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!!

 **Kill her.**

I'LL TRY TO NOT PROCRASTINATE TOO MUCH!!! AND I'LL ADD IN THE SHIPS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!

 **If you're still reading this then please, review.**


	15. Part 15

**A/n: So you guys remember when I said lower your expectations? Well, now is the time for you to really lower them because this has to be one of my worse chapters yet! But I've made you wait for so long now I feel like I should at least give you this. My apologies in advance!**

"Why aren't they here yet?" Mira asked after several excruciating minutes had passed.

"I'm sure they're busy evacuating everyone and making sure everyone is safe," Juvia said, smiling reassuringly at Mira despite her own worry.

"Right... I wouldn't want any more lives at risk than there already is- Juvia what are you doing? What's wrong?!"

Juvia's expression that of pure terror. Something small and thin had caught her eye, causing her to walk behind Mira to see what it was.

"M-Mira," Juvia dragged her eyes up to meet Mira's. "Little red numbers suddenly appeared on the box that's strapped to the back of your chair... Juvia thinks it's a timer!"

"What?!" Mira yelled in alarm and fear. Juvia nodded her head grimly, taking deep breaths in order to calm down.

"But why did it just turn on now? How much time do we have?" Mira barked, all business and no-nonsense.

"A-about five minutes," Juvia whispered as she stared at the red numbers.

"Shit, that's not enough time for the bomb squad to arrive." Mira took several deep breaths and tried to collect her thoughts. "Alright, is there anything sticking out of the timer? A wire or something?"

"Yes there are multiple wires coming out of it, they're all connected to a chip." Juvia pointed at the wires.

"Be careful! Don't touch the chamber or that'll definitely set it off." Mira interrupted.

Juvia froze in fear again. "How do you-"

"When I was little I really wanted to be a demolitions expert so I read as much research as I could on bombs and all sorts of stuff. That's the only reason I knew not to get up when you found me." Mira relayed this piece of information with a straight face.

Juvia nodded, feeling slightly comforted by this information.

"I think we can get out of this, but we don't have much time. Juvia, I need you to follow my instructions to the T, got it?"

"H-hai,"

"Okay, first I need you to get my address book and call the man named 'Makarov'. Put him on speaker. "

Juvia fumbled with Mira's address book, quickly flipping through the pages until she came across the name 'Makarov' and dialed the number. The response was almost immediate.

"Mira? Are you alright now? Are you safe?"

"Master, I need you to call off the bomb squad and get everyone within a one-mile radius away from MAVIS corp.

"B-but the bomb squad is almost at your floo-"

"They won't make it in time! If we don't hurry this bomb will detonate and if that does happen, the best thing we can do is prevent any unnecessary deaths! Call it off. The fewer people there are the less collateral damage they'll be."

Juvia jumped at how loud Mira's voice got.

"...I trust you have a plan in mind?"

"I do, but I'm not willing to risk any more lives on it."

"Very well then, child. Be safe." Makarov finally said and ended the call.

"Juvia,"

"H-hai!"

"Grab my phone off the desk and the pliers that are in the bottom drawer of my filing cabinet. If this bomb is like anything I've read before we just might be able to disable it. If we don't, well, I'm glad I got to meet you and your friends."

Juvia gathered the materials she needed and followed the thin wire, she stops and gives Mira a reassuring smile. "We will disable it. Juvia has no intentions of dying here and neither should you. Silver and Laxus-san are waiting for us!"

Mira blinks, astonished at Juvia's conviction but she manages to return her smile.

"Yeah,"

 **Meanwhile,**

Gray rushed out of the car before it even came to a complete stop and sprinted past various people that were rushing to get away, the others hot on his trail. He scanned the various crowds and policemen until he located a familiar patch of brown hair in a long trench coat that was yelling at the crowd to get away as fast as possible.

"Wakaba!"

He turned in surprise. "Natsu? Gray? Gajeel? Why are you-"

"Is it true? Are they really pulling back the bomb squad?"

Wakaba sighed and ran his fingers through his hair tiredly. "Yeah, the situation is much worse than we anticipated."

"But Juvia is still inside!" Gray yelled in anger. "You can't just leave her there!"

"There's nothing I can do! I don't speak for the bomb squad, they're their own unit! My orders were to evacuate everyone within a one-mile radius because that bomb will detonate in three minutes!"

Gray clenched his fists tightly.

"What floor is she on." He said in a menacingly low voice.

"What?"

Gray grabbed Wakaba by the lapels of his coat. "What. floor. is. she. on."

"Don't be stupid Gray, the best thing to do is to-"

"I WON'T LEAVE HER AGAIN SO JUST TELL ME WHAT FUCKING FLOOR IS SHE'S ON OR I'LL GO THROUGH EVERY GODDAMN FLOOR MYSELF UNTIL I FIND HER."

"...Tch. She's five floors below the top floor in Mirajane's office." Wakaba said, pointing to an alleyway behind him. "Go this way it's the fastest way to get to the building without getting stopped by cops. Take a left when you reach the end of it."

Gray immediately turned and began to sprint past the mass swarms of people trying to get out or the area, not bothering to check if the others were behind him. He jumped over debris and nearly slammed into the wall when he had to make the turn to the left, but true to his word he saw the building the moment he made the turn.

'Almost there, I'm almost there Juvi-'

"GET DOWN, GRAY!"

Before Gray could even make sense of those words he was tackled down from behind by Shikamaru. At that exact moment, all hell broke loose, and MAVIS Corp bottom floor exploded with a roar. The very shock of it threw them back several feet.

"No, no, no, no! JUVIA!" Gray yelled in agony, trying to get back on his feet.

"Gray! Wait! We can't get in!" Natsu yelled, latching onto his arm.

Gray whirled around, fully ready to punch Natsu so he would let him go

"Listen to reason Gray," Shikamaru said. "We have about seven minutes before the foundations of that building crumble and that's if its a well-made structure, but when that thing comes down everything in its path will be- What the!"

Shikamaru raised his arm to shield his face as a helicopter flew right above them in the direction of the crumbling MAVIS Corp, throwing the debris around them everywhere. Neji squinted hard at the helicopter and his eyes widened in surprise.

"That's a MAVIS Corp copter!"

"What? How do you know?!" Naruto asked.

"Because Mavis herself is flying it."

"NANI?!"

"What does she think she's doing…" Neji muttered as he squinted hard at the helicopter the farther it got. "Is that- Tenten?! She has a bow and arrow! She's dropping more people off on the roof!" He exclaimed.

"What?" Sasuke barked, "Can you recognize any of them?

"..Tch," Neji grunted as he squinted harder, straining his eyesight so much the veins in his eyes began to protrude a bit. "It's too far now, I can just barely see their hair color. Three light, one dark, and one bright red."

Jellal's eyes widened. "Erza! That must mean the others-"

"Are Levy, Lucy, Hinata, and Ino." Shikamaru finished grimly.

"What the hell are they doing?!" Gajeel yelled outraged. "That building could collapse any minute now! We gotta get them out"

"She was a bow an arrow...This way," Neji said. "Everyone, in that building now. I know what they're going to do."

He ran towards an old abandoned building that was boarded up with old rotting wood close to the MAviS corp building. Loud crumbling and cracks could be heard from the ground as the foundations were beginning to give.

"Hurry!" Ino yelled while holding the door open for them to rush inside. "This building will fall in about six minutes to we only have one shot at this. Take the stairs only! Mira's office is five floors below!"

"Right!" They sprinted down the stairs, the smell of smoke got worse with every floor they passed, they held the arms over their noses to try to mask the scent a bit more.

"Here!" Sakura yelled, punching down the sealed door with one hit.

"Three minutes!" Lucy yelled, keeping track of how much time we had left.

"Her room is the fifth room to the left." Ino coughed. "Hinata you go first the smoke is thicker here, I can just barely see."

"Right!"

Hinata ran in with the others hot on her heels.

"Here!" She yelled when they arrived and Erza wasted no time ramming through the door.

"Juvia! Mira!" Levy and Lucy yelled in alarm.

They were both on the ground passed out. Sakura rushed towards them and tried to assess whether or not they had life-threatening injuries, but at that moment the floor began to shake violently.

"Two minutes."

"No time for that Sakura!" Ino yelled. "We need to get out now!"

"There!" Levy pointed to the window on the left side. "This building is going to fall the other way so our only chance is that way!"

Erza and Tenten wasted no time. Erza grabbed a nearby cabinet and threw it out of the window with immense force, shattering it. Almost immediately after, Tenten aimed and shot an arrow into an abandoned building, attached to that arrow was a sturdy rope. At that exact moment, Neji and the others got to the same exact floor where she shot the arrow.

"I was correct. I knew Tenten would never leave a friend behind."

"Yeah, but how are they supposed to get across to the other side? They can't zipline, it's too vertical!" Shikamaru said.

"I can't see inside the room there's too much smoke coming out of it!" Gajeel said in frustration.

"The building is starting to sway!" Sasuke yelled.

"Sakura!" Tenten yelled.

"Already on it!" Sakura replied, tying the other end of the rope to another arrow and throwing it, embedding it deep within the brick wall. Lucy gave it an experimental tug and nodded once at its durability.

"It should hold us if we time it right!"

They yelled in surprise when the building shook with even greater force.

"Forty-five seconds!"

Apologizing, Hinata, Erza, Tenten, and Sakura scooped up Mira, Levy, Lucy, and Juvia and throw them over their shoulders.

"H-hey!" Levy and Lucy yell, outraged.

"Faster this way!" Tenten yelled over her shoulder

"Everyone out!" Ino yelled. "Quick I'll go last!"

"Thirty seconds!" Lucy yelled, squeezing her eyes shut as they jumped on to the rope and sprinted across like it was nothing.

"What the-" Neji squinted through all the smoke. "Are they-"

They guys were at a loss for words when they saw them burst through the smoke, running only on the thin rope like trapeze artists.

"They're almost here!" Natsu says in excitement.

"They're not going to make it in time!" Shikamaru said, just as the building finally began to fall backward, just as Levy said it would.

Naruto's eyes widen and time seems to slow as he whirls around to grab the rope a split second after it snaps off the wall, he manages to catch it, but the damage was done and they knew it.

"NO!" They yell as the girls lose their footing due to the lost tension in the rope and they begin to fall, but they manage to use their free hand to grab onto the rope just in time.

Wasting no time the guy's pull hard on the rope to tighten the tension back into it.

Ino couldn't help but stare in shock at Shikamaru, who was holding the rope at the very front of the group. She had never seen him move so fast in her life. He was always so slow, so late to everything. In fact, she had never really seen Shikamaru do anything that required minimal effort, and yet here he was, straining to keep a rope act so that they wouldn't fall, but why? He had no obligation to be there-

Oh, right. The Collaboration. The contract. They'd probably be fined big time if something were to happen to them. Wait, but that didn't make sense either, Shikamaru's family is wealthy any fine charged would probably be pocket change to him. So, why is he putting so much effort int-

"Ino!" Hinata yells, the distress in her voice snapping her out of her thoughts. "The rope!"

Ino twisted her head and saw that the rope was hanging on by a thread they had maybe five seconds before it snapped.

"The girls!" Ino yelled, and they knew exactly what she meant.

"Jellal!" Erza yelled while tossing Mira at him as gently as possible.

Hinata, Tenten, and Sakura repeated her actions, tossing Juvia, Lucy and Levy at Gray, Natsu, and Gajeel.

Time slowed for Ino as she turned her head and her eyes met Shikamaru's who seemed to be yelling her name, or so she assumed given by the way his lips were moving, but then again, this was Shikamaru and she didn't always understand what he was talking about. He could also just be saying something like cappuccino or beaner, those words had about the same lip movement as well. So, Ino just did what she always did in the past when she wasn't sure what Shikamaru was talking about. She smiled understandingly at him, even if she didn't quite understand and at that exact moment the rope finally snapped.

" _Shikamaru! It's my birthday today!"_

 _"Hmm, so?"_

 _"You meanie! Aren't you going to grant me a birthday wish?"_

 _"If I do will you leave me alone?"_

 _"If that's your birthday wish for today, then yes but only after you fufull mine!"_

 _"You mean fulfill,"_

 _"Whatever! Are you in?"_

 _"..Fine. But don't go back on your word!"_

 _"Yay! Tag you're it!"_

 _"Huh?"_

 _"Come on, silly! I want you to catch me!"_

 _Catch me._

 _Catch me._

Please.

Ino smiled pathetically to herself as she slowly closed her eyes. He didn't even try to catch her then or any other time after, why would he do it no-

"INO!"

Ino's eyes snapped open when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and head, pulling her to a familiar warm body.

' _It's raining men_ ' Ino thought once she looked around and saw that the other's had jumped out of the building too. ' _Hallelujah_.'

Shikamaru had his eyes squeezed shut as he tightened his grip on Ino, twisting them so that he would take the full brunt of the hit once they hit the floor.

 _'Hey, Shika,"_

 _"What do you want."_

 _"Are you scared of heights?"_

 _"No, why?"_

 _"Well, it's just that, when we were told to climb the rope today in gym class you seemed kinda nervous when you looked down."_

 _"Tch. I only did that stupid test because he threatened to fail me."_

 _"So, are you? Afraid of heights I mean."_

 _"...No, I'm not afraid of heights."_

 _"Then why-"_

 _"I'm afraid of falling."_

 _'Kami-sama,'_ Shikamaru thought right before hitting the ground. _'I promise to make up for the way I treated Ino in the past, so please, don't let us or any of my friends die here! Not now!'_

Poof.

Poof.

Poof.

Poof.

That's the only way Shikamaru could describe the sound made when they hit the ground. Except, it wasn't the ground. It was the sound of them bouncing off a jump cushion, followed by heavy breathing as the girls clung to them for dear life until they stopped bouncing.

"Note to self: reduce elastic potential energy on portable jump cushions." Zeref wrote onto a small notebook.

"Don't touch her!" Sasuke growled when someone tried to take Sakura from his arms.

"B-but sir! We need to get them into an ambulance immediately!"

"We'll take them ourselves! Where is it?" Naruto said, slapping away another fireman's arm from touching Hinata.

"Sir, they've inhaled too much smok-"

Their auras darkened.

"Where is it." They asked, leaving no room for arguments.

They'd be damned if they let them slip through their fingers again.


	16. Part 16

It was all over the news. Every news channel was broadcasting the horrific accident of MAVIS Corp. It took everything in both Mavis and Zeref's power to keep the press from entering the private hospital the moment the ambulance arrived. Mavis immediately ordered that Mira be placed under maximum security. Mira was then whisked away to a private room where Mavis's personal doctor would inspect her.

At least that's what the girls were told once they woke up, panicking and screaming in the hospital. (Tenten had to be physically restrained by Sakura to keep from accidentally cutting one of the nurses with her kunai.)

A knock sounded at the door a smiling head of white hair poked out from the side.

"Mira!" They all cried happily and tackled her into a hug.

"What are you doing here?"

"Why aren't you resting?"

"Are you alright? You're not a- a ghost are you?"

"GET OFF HER." Roared a loud booming voice.

Still not completely recovered from the smoke inhalation the girls screamed and jumped away from Mira, hugging each other for dear life and strength as a large blonde man with a scar on his eye glared at them unforgivingly.

"Laxus! Be nice! If it wasn't for them I probably wouldn't be alive." Mira chided him before turning to address the girls. "I assure you I am quite alive, Erza. All I have is a harmless bump on my head from the explosion that knocked me down."

Their eyes were the size of dinner plates as they watched sweet Mira scold her almost seven foot tall buff boyfriend in front of them like it was nothing. He merely grunted in response but didn't remove his hand from her waist.

"We're happy to see you in good health." Levy said from behind Erza's hospital gown.

Sakura nodded. "We constantly asked the nurses for your condition but they kept telling us that it was confidential information."

"I can imagine, I had to beg one of the nurses to let me go see you guys even if it was just for a moment. As long as I'm back before Mavis finds out I'm good."

Mira leaned over and whispered the last part to them as if it was a secret between them.

"Mira and Juvia were very lucky," Juvia said, solemnly. "Things could have been much, much worse."

"That's actually why I was so eager to come here. I- We came to thank you all for saving my life. If not for your brave actions I would have been crushed when the building collapsed." Both Mira and Laxus bowed before the girls in respect. "We're in your debt."

"Oh, uh, it was nothing!" Hinata said, fidgeting awkwardly. After that Mira stayed and they chatted about random topics, they were careful to avoid the whole bomb threat thing.

About half an hour later another knock sounded at the door and a nurse opened the door. "Miss Mira? Could you please return to your room now?"

Mira excused herself and left them to rest. The moment she closed the doors the girls let out a sigh of relief.

"My gosh, did you see how big he was?!" Levy shuddered. "I think I just reach his knees."

"Uh, no offence Levy, but you're like that with most normal people." Tenten pointed out.

"Still," Lucy said. "That picture she had of him in her office does him no justice. I knew he was big, but in person it's a whole other level."

"How was he even allowed in here? Mavis isn't even allowing Zeref onto this floor yet, much less visitors." Ino wondered.

That much was true. Visitor were not allowed yet, not even Neji or any of the other guys. According to what Mavis said, everyone is a suspect until they passed her personal inspection.

That, at least, they were relieved about. According to gossip provided to them from Mira, Zeref had to restrain 'their' boys from causing a scene when the nurses didn't allow them to go past the double doors with them.

"Wait. Does that mean visitors can now visit?" Ino said shooting up from her bed with a dreaded look on her face. "I'm not ready to face him!" Ino dove under her covers and pulled them up to her chin. "Tell everyone I'm still unconscious!"

Juvia shrieked and dove under her covers with her while Levy, Tenten, and Hinata ran over to hide behind her bed.

"Do you really think so?" Erza asked, gripping the edge of Ino's cover uncertainly.

Ino popped up from under the covers. "Why else would he be with Mira?"

"Oh, I don't know. It can't be because he's her fiance and were going to get married next month." Sakura pointed out sarcastically tugging on the covers in an attempt to get them off the bed.

"Even so!" Levy said, pulling the covers back to emphasize her point. "This is Mavis we're talking about! You could be the president himself and she wouldn't let you past those doors! Not unless visitors were allowed again."

"She has a point," Tenten agreed.

Sakura rolled her eyes at their antics and tugged back even harder. "You guys are overreacting."

Ino pulled back with more strength. "And you're not reacting enough! You're not seriously going to stand there and act like

you're not freaking out about facing that Uchiha again, are you?"

Sakura pulled the covers more to cover her face. "There's no need to act! I'm not freaking out at all!"

With their combined strengths they manage to rip the sheets away from Sakura's face.

"If you're not freaking out why are you so red faced and sweating?" Hinata pointed out, keeping a tight grip on the sheets.

"Because I keep trying to tug this sheet away and you guys wont let me!" Sakura retorted, placing one knee on the bed so she could tug on the sheet more firmly.

Ino and Juvia sat up on their knees and pulled back on the covers with the others. Even with her immense strength, Sakura struggled to keep her grip on the sheets with all five of them ganging up on her.

"Calm down you guys." Sakura struggled to speak as so to not lessen her grip on the sheets. "I'm sure Mavis wouldn't do that to u-"

"You have visitors, Misses."

They all shrieked at this news and dove under the covers of Ino's bed, gripping each other tightly so they wouldn't fall off.

"It's just me." Mavis said, slightly amused by their reaction. "Who were you expecting?"

The girls poked their heads out from beneath the sheets and laughed awkwardly at their own silliness, retreating to sit back to their own beds.

"Do you have any news on our kids?" Hinata asked, worriedly.

Mavis nodded. "They arrived safely at the safe house with Cana and Lisanna and are under good care. They haven't cried yet but they're a bit disturbed and I don't think Cana and Lisanna will be able to keep them completely calm for long given that they're in a new environment and their mothers are no where to be found."

The girls all nodded, relieved that their children were safe at least.

"As for the bomb incident, well I've managed to convince the press that the most likely cause was that a large gas tank exploded due to poor management. I'll probably receive some backlash from the industry but it'll be nothing compared to the backlash we'll receive if they find out someone managed to infiltrate MAVIS Corp and place a bomb with two hostages inside."

"Who do you think could have done it." Tenten asked.

Mavis shrugged. "We're not sure yet. We haven't found any evidence against anyone yet."

"Has this happened before?" Juvia asked after a moment.

"Well, we've received death threats before, as expected, but never to this extent."

Lucy raised her brows high. "Someone must really hate Mira-san."

Mavis shook her head. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I don't think Mira was the target."

Erza furrowed her brow. "What do you mean? Mira was the one who was restrained in her own office with a timer on her back."

"Think about it. Mira was left in that office all night, why would the timer just suddenly turn on after Juvia stepped behind Mira to look at it?"

They had no response to that. It didn't make sense.

"Are you implying that someone is after us?" Sakura asked incredulously. "I mean, even if that were true, how would this person have know that Juvia was going to be the first person to see Mira that day? And how could they have known when Juvia or anyone stepped behind it?"

Mavis's face went dark suddenly. "Someone hacked into Mira's account and emailed the entire staff to not disturb her at all that day except for Lucy, Levy, Erza, and Juvia."

"But, I never received any email-" Ino began.

"The email did not breech the top floor wireless security, which is why none of us received it."

"Which made it easier for one of you four to be one of the first to find her." Hinata murmured looking to Levy, Juvia, Lucy and Erza.

Mavis nodded. "As for knowing when she stepped behind her, I wont know for sure till I get the autopsy report back but I'm pretty sure that timer was equipped with a camera."

A heavy silence hung in the air as they soaked in all that information.

"So, what do we do now?" Juvia asked, quietly.

"Well," Mavis said. "Our best course of action would be to cancel the colla-"

"Wait, Mavis. Think about it! I think that's what they want. They want us to cancel the collab and the tour. We'll be playing right into their hands!" Tenten pointed out.

"But if they're unafraid to bomb our building who knows what else they're willing to do."

"Exactly. If they're like that in public how much worse do you think they're going to get in private?"

Erza nodded. "She has a point. Not to mention, if they do come after us again, say in a concert, they're bound to make a mistake and they also bound to be seen by someone."

Mavis squinted her eyes at them. "You- You want to continue with the collab? Despite all of this that has happened?"

"More like because all of this has happened. I think that right now the safest we'll be is surrounded by people, and what better way to do that than to tour." Levy said.

"Not to mention that we'll constantly be moving from one place to another and that'll definitely keep them on their toes. They're going to make a mistake at some point and when they do we'll be ready for them." Sakura said with more conviction.

Mavis stared hard at each of them, searching for any signs that they didn't want to go through with this, but after finding none she sighed. "Very well, we'll try it your way, but if there is ever a moment that places your lives or your children's lives in danger, the tour is off and you will all be going into hiding until the situation is resolved, am I making myself clear?"

They all nodded.

* * *

Mavis released them that night, knowing they were itching to see their children. They arrived just in the nick of time before the kids reached their breaking point. Cana and Lisanna faired well, but they were slowly losing the battle before the mothers arrived. They nearly knocked them off their feet when the stepped through the door, crying in relief that they were okay and that their battle was finally over.

"I'm so not ready for kids." Lisanna complained as she finally relaxed on the couch of the safe house. It was really just a decent sized cabin out in the middle of the forest.

"Don't say that Lis, you did a great job in our absence." Lucy smiled as she kissed Luke's cheek. "Didn't she, hmm baby?"

Luke squealed in delight at his mothers attention.

"Juvia! Why are you crying?" Hinata asked worriedly, her daughter peeking up at Juvia from behind her leg..

"Waaaahhhh! My baby boy has grown and Juvia missed it!!!! Waaaaahhh!" Juvia sobbed, holding Silver up so they could see.

"Uhhh, He looks just like he did yesterday morning…" Ino pointed out, her own son clinging onto her from behind.

Juvia shook her head and cuddled her son closer to herself. "Don't you see?! He's grown .00056th of an inch! I can feel it!"

"A-ah! Of course! It's so obvious how could I have missed it…" Tenten said, slowly backing away from Juvia.

Sakura giggled at them. "Good grief, I can't imagine what she must've been like while she was pregnant and hormonal."

Sakura frowned in confusion when she was met with silence. Turning she found Lucy, Levy, and Erza all still smiling, but their smiles didn't match the dark auras that surrounded them.

"She was,"

"Absolutely,"

"Amazing." They chorused. Sakura was even more confused.

"She never got any mood swings!" Erza cried.

"She never got morning sickness!" Lucy mumbled.

"She never even bloated!" Levy complained.

"She didn't even crave! She even spent her allowance on our cravings!" They yelled together.

Sakura slowly approached Juvia with her own dark aura. "What kind of creature are you?"

Juvia giggled as she reminisced her pregnant days. "Heh, I didn't even know I was pregnant until I fainted one day and they took me to the hospital. I was the last to find out."

Sakura huddled over to a corner and cried to herself, mumbling how unfair life was to her. Of the four kunoichi, her pregnancy was, by far, the worst.

"Oh, by the way Ino, is it really safe for Knox to do that?" Levy asked curiously, referring to how the boy was just asleep while clinging to her back, his head resting on her shoulder.

"Oh, this? Yeah, he's does this ever since he was little. See?" Ino takes out a picture from her pocket and shows them. It's her and Knox in the same position except she's sitting on an old ugly brown couch and Knox is much smaller and drooling.

"Kyaaa!! He's so cute!!!" Lucy and Levy fangirled.

Ino sighed. "The only problem is getting him off…"

* * *

They stayed in the safe house for a week with no contact with the outside world. By then most of the media had died down and Mavis had already declared that the tour was still going to happen. Right now the girls were on their way to ZEREF Inc. where they would finally meet up with the boys and do the thing they were dreading the most. Talk.

The car ride was full of nervous silence and fidgeting fingers.

"So, Levy, how's that song coming?" Tenten asked, eager to rid herself of the silence.

"Oh! I finished writing it!" Levy said, raising her little notebook triumphantly.

"Really?! Let me see!" Lucy, Erza and Juvia yelled while throwing themselves at her, desperate for any form of distraction. Their wide smiles slowly slid off their faces as they read the lyrics, when they finish they stare at Levy with wide glistening eyes.

"Levy-Chan… you wrote this?"

Levy fiddled with her fingers. "It was dumb wasn't it? I'll just rewrite it. I knew it was too soon. Besides, its short anyways…"

"No, its...its…" Juvia struggled to finish her sentence as she stared at the lyrics.

"Perfect." Erza murmured, looking up with a soft expression. Their team leaned closer and scanned over the lyrics. Hinata pursed her lips in a pensive way. "I actually have an idea for this one… It'll take it bit longer to get everything ready though."

"No rush!" Levy said, visibly pleased that she had done a good job. Of course, that's when their private Limo stopped. They were here.

They took several deep calming breaths before opening the doors and climbing out of the car, trying not to let their unease show.

When they stepped inside they were just stepping out of the elevator they looked both surprised and relieved that they were there early.

"Being on time is being late." Sakura said without thinking and she immediately wanted to slap herself. Sasuke had told her those same exact words back when they were younger. Sakura cleared her throat before anything else could be said and motioned towards the table in the middle of the lobby.

"Before we begin we would all like to thank you for taking us to the hospital and ensuring our safety in our spur of the moment plan to rescue Juvia and Mirajane. We are in your debt. We're hoping we can start this collaboration over with a fresh clean slate and no hard feelings" Tenten said and the all bow from the waist at the men. They owed them at least that much, they really hadn't been making this job any easier than they had been making it for them. Also, they needed to be able to work together without any feelings or past getting in the way if they wanted to catch the person behind all of this.

Before any of them could react or reply to their actions Tenten immediately shoots onto business. "I'm assuming Mavis has filled you in on all the details."

The _technical ones_ at least. The had all agreed to keep their bomb theories under wraps until they could get some real evidence that proved their ideas.

"Yes, we're aware of the situation. Please send your comrade our regards." Neji replied, he looked each of the girls in the eye as he spoke but his gaze lingered a little longer on Tenten, as if verifying himself that she really was there, safe and sound.

"Despite everything that happened last week, I'm sure we've proven that our groups can at least work professionally together, correct?" Hinata said once everyone was seated. She paused for anyone to dispute otherwise and nodded when no one did. "The contract says we are to be touring by the end of the year but given the circumstances we believe the soon it kicks off the better. I believe we should be able to pull it off by the end of next month, which means we'll have to be working on both teams synchronicity both in song and in dance immediately."

"So soon?! That's barely enough time for our teams to work together!" Naruto exclaimed.

"We've already taken that into account so we suggest you choose out your more popular songs that you think the girls would work best with and for now we'll work on doing covers of previous songs. When the time comes we'll have them sit down and write songs together." Tenten reasoned.

Levy was dreading that time to come. How could they work with their somewhat exes to right songs? They'd probably be nothing but heartbreak and revenge songs!

"I that case we'll also need to start advertising this event ASAP." Neji added with a nod.

"Which is why I'll need a copy of you schedule for the next month or so to set up some interviews and talk shows." Ino said while tapping her favorite blue pen on her clipboard.

"Then you'll have to work out a meeting with Shikamaru since he's in charge of organizing the schedule."

If Ino was unnerved by that she showed no signs of it on her face. She merely nodded and said "Very well. We can discuss this tomorrow at Ichiraku's.

If they were gong to pull this off there wasn't going to be any time for silly feelings. From now on it was going to be strictly business between them. Nothing more, nothing less.


	17. Part 17

Ino Yamanaka admitted to being many things, but a coward was not one of them.

At least, that's what she told herself after she stopped for the fifth time to look at another flower growing out of the ground on her way to Ichiraku's.

 _I'm not stalling,_ she mentally argued as she straightened and smoothed out her skirt with her hand. _I'm just in no particular rush to see him. We gave our thanks to him and the others so there should be no awkward atmosphere whatsoever._

With that thought Ino straightened her shoulders and walked with newfound vigor, determined to keep their meeting as short as possible. Luckily, Mavis relocated them again to a private apartment complex that wasn't far from Ichiraku's.

In reality, she really couldn't allow herself to be distracted, not with such a threat looming over her and her friends. Death threats and accusations were now a daily part of their lives due to the industry they worked in, but none had ever been to this extent. That incident was more than just an attempt on their lives, it was a statement. Whoever was behind this was going to use any means necessary to take them out. One way or another.

Ino sighed and rubbed her face tiredly. It would do her no good to stress herself out, she needed to be at the top of her game for both her job and her son.

A son who she adored with every fiber of her being.

A son who looked exactly like his father.

A father who she was on her way to meet with.

A father who had no idea that he had a son.

 _And hopefully he never will._ Ino thought, as she pulled the door to Ichiraku's open.

Unsurprisingly, Shikamaru was already there, seated at a table beside the window with the best view of the sky. Typical. Ino took a final, steadying deep breath and strode over, making her footsteps loud enough to be heard as she neared.

"Nara." Ino greeted with a respectful nod as she took a seat across from him. "Thank you for agreeing to meet up with me on such a short notice."

"Troublesome, but it's whatever." He sighed as he brandished a tablet from the messenger bag that was hanging off his chair.

 _'Still as dismissive as always.'_ Ino thought as she pulled out her laptop and booted it up.

"I sent you the basic layout of our weekly schedule." Shikamaru said, propping his head up on the palm of his hand and staring lazily out the window.

Ino nodded and opened up the email, scanning the information and muttering to herself every now and then.

"I'll email you ours so you can take a look for yourself and we can discuss-" Ino faltered when she looked up from her typing. Shikamaru had, at some point, closed his eyes in the middle of her ramblings and had dozed off. How dare he! Ino bristled in her seat and was reaching over to smack him awake with his own tablet when she noticed his lower lip twitching in a familiar way.

Knox had the same habit whenever he napped.

Ino couldn't help but let her eyes roam all over Shikamaru's face. What other traits had Knox inherited from his father other than his physical features?

Well, he definitely got his squinting scowl from his father, but Ino was fairly certain he got her radiant smile. Ino fondly watched an all too familiar pout rest on Shikamaru's face. He always pouted in his sleep whenever he fell asleep while cloud gazing, even as kids.

Suddenly, Ino felt sick to her stomach. Here Shikamaru was, napping in the middle of a restaurant without a care in the world, not knowing that less than five miles away he had a perfectly healthy son that was his spitting image. Ino knew it was unfair to both him and her son to keep this a secret, to have kept it a secret for this long, but the alternative was much worse for Ino.

Perhaps she was being selfish, but she was not willing to risk losing her son. She would always fight tooth and nail for him. No matter what the cost.

Ino needed a breath of fresh air, it was becoming too much. She thought she could handle doing this alone but maybe she needed a bit more mental preparation before starting a real conversation with him. Taping a little sticky note to Shikamaru's drink, Ino gathered her things and stepped outside.

It was sunny out but a slight breeze kept the heat at bay for the most part. Ino took a deep breath and wallowed in the sun for a moment before turning and walking down the street, being careful as to not stray too far from Ichiraku's. She knew she could pull this off, she had birthed an entire child after all! This was child's play compared to that. She just had to get her thoughts and emotions under control. She just had to march back there, smack Shikamaru awake, avoid looking at his face, and not trip over the little old lady struggling to carry multiple pots of daffodils outside her flower shop

"Oh! Let me help you with that!" Ino exclaimed, grabbing several pots and placing them onto a stand with several other daffodils.

"Oh, thank you, darling! I thought I could make it in one trip but I guess I overestimated how much my weary old body can handle." The old lady said, placing her pots beside Ino's and gratefully shaking her hand.

"No problem!" Ino smiled and turned to the flowers, openly admiring their beauty and leaning in to give them a sniff. "The daffodils look so pretty next to the tulips!"

"They do don't they?" The old lady said with a smile. "They're on discount because no one will buy any."

Ino frowned. "Why not?"

"Don't you know? Most people want the flowers already in a vase and Daffodils tend to shorten the vase life of the other flowers in the vase." The old lady sighed, wiping her hands on her apron before turning to enter her flower shop.

Ino trailed in behind her. "But there's such a simple solution to that!"

"Oh?" The old lady asked, genuinely curious.

"You just have to cut your daffodils and put them in a vase of water by themselves for half an hour before you put them with other flowers! That way they don't secrete the sap that causes the other flower to die so quickly."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful! I'll have to do that from now on!" The old lady looked so happy Ino couldn't help but smile.

"Mm-hm! But be sure not to recut the daffodils before placing them in an arrangement!" Ino heeded as she began to wander the flower shop, admiring and smelling all the familiar scents.

"You know a lot about flowers." The old lady noted.

"My dad owns flower shops." Ino said with a fond smile as she lightly touched the petals of a petunia.

"Ah," The old lady said with a nod before frowning slightly.

Ino blinked. "Is something the matter?"

The old lady nodded her head towards the window. "That poor boy, he looks like he's lost something. He's looking around so frantically..."

Ino turns and looks out the window to see what she means and immediately gasps. That boy was none other than Shikamaru tearing down the streets, scanning every store, and calling out loud enough for several people to turn and stare at him. Ino could tell by the way his lips moved that he was looking for her. He must not have seen her between all the large plants in the flower shop.

"O-oh, I have to go!"

"Oh, well, here take this as a token of my gratitude." The old lady handed Ino a peach rose.

Ino hurriedly thanked the old lady and waved goodbye as she made her way to the front of the store. A strong breeze tousled her hair as she scanned around for Shikamaru, raising her hand up to her eyes to block out the sun. Were the streets always this crowded? She hadn't been paying attention before but there were quite a few people window shopping.

"Nara!" Ino tried calling out once she found Shikamaru again a few stores ahead. He didn't turn around, there were too many people between them he probably couldn't hear her.

"Why would you abandon your poor boyfriend? Poor boy looks more panicked than a lost child." The old flower lady commented when she stepped outside.

"He's not my- shit." Ino jolted forward when she realized that his panic did seem to be increasing with every passing moment, not bothering to finish correcting the old lady. She called out to him again but he never so much as glanced in her direction. If he didn't calm down soon the press would arrive and they seriously could not afford any more bad publicity. Fantic, she called out the first thing that came to mind.

"Shika!"

That was an old nickname only she would use. No one else ever called him that because it annoyed the hell out of him in the past. Well, bad memories or not, it got the job done. Shikamaru froze instantly and whirled around, already ready to sprint in the direction of the voice but Ino was there in a split second, pulling him down by the collar of his shirt and leading him away from the multiple prying eyes to a small hidden alleyway where she had a whole ranting speech prepared on how ridiculous he was being.

Shikamaru had a different idea though. Before Ino could realize what was happening, Shikamaru had wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his forehead on hers, right there, ignoring the fact that any passing window shoppers could see them. He took a deep calming breath and eyes were squeezed shut as if he were trying to ground himself in her scent.

Ino was so startled she just let him, this close to him she could see the slight bags under his eyes, as if he hadn't been sleeping well at all in the last few days.

"I can't let my guard down around you," He rasped, "I can't sleep unless I'm certain you're safe, and I'm only certain if you're within my reach, where I can protect you."

 _He's rambling,_ Ino realized with wide eyes. Forget not sleeping well, Shikamaru sounded like he hadn't been sleeping at all.

"And when I finally do have you within my reach, safe, and I can finally rest my eyes for a moment, you disappear again." Shikamaru pulled her even closer by the waist, burying his face in her neck and his thumbs massaging the sides of her hips absentmindedly. "Do you have any idea how much you scare me? How your ability to just disappear from my life has me gripped in a constant state of dread?"

Ino's throat ran dry, but she managed to weakly point out, "But that's what you want-"

" _I was wrong!_ " Shikamaru all but yelled. "I don't want that at all! I- I regret what I said, Ino. I know that alone isn't enough to make up for what I did to you, but please. Give me a chance to prove to you that I mean what I say, that I regret my past actions.

Shikamaru finally pulled away from her and reached one hand up to cup her face. "Just don't disappear again. I won't be able to bear it one more time..."

And before Ino could even comprehend what was happening, he leaned down and captured her lips in what was their first kiss in over two years. Caught so off guard, Ino's jaw dropped and her arms fell to her sides uselessly, but as soon as it started, it was over and before Ino could even get mad, Shikamaru slumped forward uselessly, his body forcefully taking the much needed sleep it required.

Ino's heart pounded so loudly in her chest she was certain it would stop at any minute. That did not just happen. This must have all been a dream. It had to have been. There's no way Shikamaru just said all those things to her. There's no way Shikamaru just _kissed_ her. Of his own free will. There's no way.

Ino shook her head, now was not the time to be dwelling in the moment, she had to get Shikamaru somewhere where he could rest well. Unfortunately, in their current position, Ino was pinned between the wall and his body, and no way out. Not unless she wanted to make him fall to the ground and risk hitting his head.

No, she couldn't do that. Unable to reach for her own phone, not without dropping Shikamaru that is, she reached into his pocket and dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Hey Choji!... Why do I have Shikamaru's phone?...Funny you should ask..."


End file.
